Attitudes toward the care of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A survey of community internists.

Community physicians may play an increasing role in treating patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) because of the shift away from inpatient care. At a community hospital in New York, NY, we surveyed 230 attending physicians in a department of medicine to determine their attitudes toward the care of patients with AIDS. Factor analysis produced three clusters of attitudes termed antipathy, liability, and isolation.