A Forecast of the HIV Clinician Workforce Need in the United States: Results of a Quantitative National Survey

Abstract

There is a decreasing HIV care workforce in the United States, whereas the need for HIV care and prevention continues to increase. To better understand this issue, a quantitative, anonymous, one-time, self-administered survey was conducted. The survey was completed by 1,004 prescribing clinicians currently providing HIV-related health care. Clinicians of younger age and Black race, advanced practice registered nurses, and family medicine physicians were more likely to report continuing with the same number of patients or increasing the number of patients in their HIV practice in the next 5 years. The need for more prescribing HIV care clinicians is paramount because 17.8% reported plans to stop HIV clinical care wholly or to decrease the number of people living with HIV in their practice over the next 5 years. The most common reasons for leaving include retirement, administrative burden, and burnout.