HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Impairment Knowledge and Current Practices: A Survey of Frontline Healthcare Workers in South Africa

Neurocognitive impairment (NCI) associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains prevalent amongst people living with HIV. Testing for HIV-associated NCI in routine clinical care is limited in South Africa and reasons for this are unclear. We conducted an online survey amongst healthcare workers (HCW) to assess HIV-associated NCI knowledge and current practices. The final sample included four hundred surveys (n=400). Chi-square analyses were used to explore HCW knowledge of HIV-associated NCI and screening tools. One-way ANOVA was used to compare mean responses between HCW categories. We observed low awareness of HIV-associated NCI terminology and screening tools. HCW seldom suspected NCI among patients and screening practices were uncommon. Referrals for further NCI investigations were never requested. HCW expressed a desire to receive further training to identify HIV associated NCI. The current study highlights the context of HIV-associated NCI knowledge and practices among front-line HIV HCW in resource-limited settings.