The AIDS epidemic: developing an institutional response.

The AIDS epidemic presents the health care delivery system with a number of diverse and complex challenges. Some institutions will perceive the problems associated with this disease as being overwhelming and insurmontable. Others will be stimulated by the scientific and ethical issues presented. The need to strike a balance, which incorporates the needs of the institution and the population to be served, cannot be stressed enough. The proper planning of an institutional response to this epidemic should involve an evaluation of internal resources, the investigation of existing models of AIDS care, and an assessment of the patient population. The departments of nursing, medicine, pediatrics, and social work can provide invaluable input into this process. Consultation with community-based agencies is also stressed, as these organizations provide an important source of supportive care to outpatients. A number of concerns are raised when institutions begin to plan and develop responses to the AIDS epidemic. These concerns often center on the perception that a visible commitment to persons with AIDS-related illnesses will keep other patients away or that attention and resources will be diverted from other equally serious conditions. Such concerns are reasonable and must be taken into account when planning any type of dedicated services. Particular care must be taken to avoid diverting resources from other programs. For institutions already providing care to large numbers of AIDS patients, the decision to centralize services and provide a more comprehensive approach to care is often a matter of relocation as opposed to introduction of a new patient care service.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)