Primary Care Providers' Information Needs for Prescribing Adolescents HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Abstract

Although knowledge is a salient determinant in primary care providers (PCPs) prescribing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to adolescents, we know little about what information PCPs want about PrEP. We conducted an online mixed-method study to explore the PrEP information needs of a national sample of 351 PCPs. We analyzed data with deductive content analysis and compared themes between respondents who were aware and not aware of PrEP, knowledgeable and not knowledgeable of the prescribing guidelines, and prescribed and never prescribed PrEP to an adolescent. PCPs who were unknowledgeable about PrEP and never prescribed PrEP to an adolescent mentioned manufacturing information, indications and dosing, and contraindications and adverse reactions more so than PCPs who were aware of and prescribed PrEP. A better understanding of the information needs of PCPs could inform provider education interventions. Future research must examine the facilitators and barriers to integrating PrEP information into medical education and clinical settings.