Effectiveness of an educational program about the Chilean AIDS law in primary care health workers

Background: In Chile, members of the civil society and government achieved the passing of the HIV/AIDS Law (19.779). The level of knowledge of the law held by healthcare workers in Chile is not well known. Aim: To analyze the effect of an intervention on knowledge of the existence of the law and its application in clinical practice among primary healthcare workers in southeastern Santiago. Material and Methods: Healthcare workers of primary care centers were invited to participate in the study. One group received an educational intervention lasting a total of 16 hours, about AIDS physiopathology, sexually transmitted diseases, communication with patients and current legislation. A control group did not receive the educational intervention. Both groups answered a self-administered questionnaire about the HIV/AIDS law at baseline and three months after the intervention. Results: The intervention was carried out in 262 workers and 293 participated as controls. The initial evaluation revealed that only 16.3% (n = 89) had heard of the law, without any significant difference between intervention and control groups. The knowledge about the law improved by 65% in the intervention group and did not change in controls. At the end of the education period, the intervention and control groups improved their global knowledge by 29 and 3%, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The educational intervention was effective in improving knowledge of the HIV/AIDS Law among Chilean healthcare workers.