7.3. Phone Information about AIDS Treatments
Description
This article is from the AIDS FAQ, by Dan Greening with numerous contributions by others.
7.3. Phone Information about AIDS Treatments
PHS' AIDS TREATMENT INFORMATION SERVICE BEGINS
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced the start of the first
800-number service which provides federally approved treatment
information by phone or computer for people living with HIV/AIDS and
health care professionals.
Secretary Shalala said, "As of today, HIV/AIDS patients and those
caring for them can call ATIS, the AIDS Treatment Information Service
at 1-800-HIV-0440 and speak to a trained health information expert
about up-to-date HIV/AIDS treatments."
Interim national AIDS policy coordinator Patsy Fleming said, "ATIS
represents the kind of innovative, coordinated effort among government
agencies -- working together to provide a service that does not fall
under the mandate of any individual agency -- that is vital to meeting
the continuing challenges of AIDS."
Philip R. Lee, M.D., HHS assistant secretary for health and director
of the U.S. Public Health Service, said, "In addition to assisting
health care providers, the AIDS Treatment Information Service will
help people living with HIV/AIDS extend and improve the quality of
their lives by helping them make informed decisions about their health
care with their providers."
Surgeon General M. Joycelyn Elders, M.D., speaking in Atlanta at the
National Skills-Building Conference for community based organizations,
sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council, the National
Association of People with AIDS and the AIDS National Interfaith
Network, said, "Community-based organizations and AIDS service
organizations all over America need to help get the work out about
ATIS. It provides an invaluable additional resource to people living
with HIV/AIDS."
The Public Health Service National AIDS Program Office has coordinated
development of the service. Six PHS agencies have contributed to its
formation and will be funding its operation. These agencies are the
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, the Health
Resources and Services Administration, the National Institutes of
Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. Project officers from each of the participating PHS
agencies will be responsible for oversight of the program.
Representatives from AIDS communities across the country have also
participated in designing the service.
The data-base for ATIS, which is housed at the National Library of
Medicine, part of NIH, will be continually up-dated to include all
federally approved HIV/AIDS treatment information. The data base can
be accessed free via computer.
ATIS also can provide access to other, related PHS information
services, including: the CDC National AIDS Hotline, providing basic
HIV/AIDS information; the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse, providing
HIV/AIDS print and video materials; the AIDS Clinical Trials
Information Service, providing information on clinical trials for
treatments for HIV/AIDS and associated opportunistic infections; the
HRSA-sponsored Warmline, which provides HIV/AIDS treatment information
to physicians only; the SAMHSA National Drug Information, Treatment
and Referral Hotline, which provides information on drug treatment and
community resources; and the SAMHSA National Clearinghouse for Alcohol
and Drug Information, which provides information on alcohol and drug
abuse treatment and prevention.
ATIS staff will not provide treatment advice, but will provide
information and advise patients that they need to discuss their
treatment options with their physicians.
The service is staffed by highly trained health information
specialists who are fluent in English and Spanish. Deaf access (TDD)
in included. The service is provided Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to
7 p.m. EST. All calls are completely confidential.
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