Are Frequently, the people Who Should Be Well-Informed About Viruses (Especially the HIV),-?

Question

-and Diseases, Typically the Least Knowledgeable?

Answer 1

From what I've seen, even infectious disease specialists have a basic knowledge of viruses. I am totally unaware of a practicing MD in the US who has a extensive background in viruses, outside of the normal ones that they encounter in their normal practice. When they encounter the more "exotic" ones (e.g., Hepatitis, HIV), they forward their patients to specialists who deal with just those diseases.

Add to this the ever increasing knowledge on viruses that appears in the medical journals on a monthly basis, it's unlikely (at least, to me) that they could ever be totally up-to-date on the latest trends in any viral disease.  

Answer 2

I have to say they really don't know much about certain diseases in their field and I should know. I have Gastroparesis. I've had it 7 years and counting. They (Gastrointerologists) don't know why I have it nor do they know why it is so bad. It takes 24+ hours for my stomach to empty food so I live on baby fruit. I can't even eat baby food. I don't have the normal symptoms, they don't know why and I am not diabetic. I have been from one Gastro to the other, state to state and still no help. All they tell me is it is the worst case they have ever seen and don't know what else to do for me. I bet if they ate baby fruit everyday they would find out real fast some other options to try. I also have Eagle's Syndrome, an ENT treated problem. I have only met one ENT who knew what it was but doesn't know a treatment for it. I have been from Dr to Dr and every dentist and oral surgeon around close to the state I live in. One oral surgeon said it was osteomylitis and did surgery, he was wrong and he told me so after the surgery. I tell ENT's I have Eagle's syndrome and THEY ASK ME what it is. So in answer to your question I have to say they are the least knowledgeable and have NO desire to become more knowledgeable about the diseases they are supposed to be specialists in. Then they get angry when you look up your problem on the net and tell them what the net says,  they tell you that you can't go by what you read on the net, Bologna, if I had not looked on the net to find out what was causing my tremors I would still be shaking so bad I couldn't hold a glass to get a drink of water. I found out I have Essential Tremors and what meds I needed to treat them. I took my info to the Dr and have been taking the meds and not shaking as much for 12 years. Doctors can be so frustrating.

Answer 3

I think you're right, no person in there right mind would take this matter as laughing matter.

I blame awareness in general for this, see if anti-AIDS ads designed a better way to increase awareness and the risks, people wouldn't be so careless.

Edit: No you're not being sensitive at all, you have a very good argument here, it seems that people are so focused being politically correct that no one actually asks questions like this anymore.

So no I don't think you're being sensitive just curious.

Answer 4

I think knowledge has to thin out somewhere. Either a doctor will know a little about many things or a lot about some things. But, specific can not be known without the general and general is needed to understand the specific. Objective knowledge is also very different from subjective "knowing". I think a doctor can see patients with particular viruses all day long, but still, not really "know" of all an illness touches and, well, as a consequence, even close to what there is to know.

Anyway, all this on top of the fact that if doctors "don't know", that admission followed by endeavours to find out, is not typically a reality in practise, for many reasons. So, unfortunately, there are gaps made of a lack of various kinds of knowledge or bias into which people will fall.

To complicate things even more, what I understand, particularly, with the HIV, presentations are highly variable. The literature is filled with case studies and these keep piling up.

Answer 5

Your question is very general.  I think most physicians, who need to be well versed about viral illnesses, are very up to date on HIV.  Not all physicians specialize in areas that require a huge depth of HIV knowledge, though.  Those physicians should refer patients to an infectious disease or HIV specialists.

Edited: I'm gonna have to disagree with Joe T.  HIV and Hep C are not what I would call "exotic."  Questions on how to treat those viral illnesses are on the basic internal medicine certification exam.  Every internist takes those, not just the subspecialists.