Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in HIV & AIDS for September 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Doctors, Patients Identify Tacit Clues in Their Interactions

FRIDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Both doctors and patients identify tacit clues as well as judgments based on these clues during video elicitation interviews of health maintenance examinations, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

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Reasons for Referral to Specific Docs Differ Among Physicians

TUESDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Primary care physicians (PCPs) and medical and surgical specialists differ in their reasons for selecting specific colleagues for referrals, with PCPs more concerned about physician communication and medical record sharing than specialists, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

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Point-of-Care CD4 Counting Cuts Loss of Follow-Up in HIV

MONDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Rapid immunological staging by point-of-care counting of CD4 cells in patients with HIV reduces loss to follow-up before initiating antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in The Lancet.

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Mortality Up in Hospitals With More Minority Trauma Patients

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The odds of in-hospital mortality for trauma patients are associated with the proportion of minority patients in the hospital, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in the Archives of Surgery.

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Progressive Decline in Child, Maternal Mortality Since 1990

TUESDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Although many countries are progressing in reducing maternal and child mortality, only a small number of developing countries will achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 or 5 by 2015, according to a study published online Sept. 20 in The Lancet.

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Work Intensity Similar Across Physician Specialties

MONDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The level of physician work intensity appears to be similar among specialties, with variations in the specific dimensions of stress, physical demands, performance, and temporal demand, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Medical Care.

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Women Older Than 50 Years Aware of Sexual Health Risks

THURSDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Sexually active women over the age of 50 years are aware of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but are hesitant to consult their physicians for health information, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in the Journal of Consumer Affairs.

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Many Mistakenly Believe FDA OKs Only Safe, Effective Drugs

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of the U.S. public mistakenly believes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves only effective and safe drugs, but providing consumer explanations can lead to better drug choices, according to a study published in the Sept. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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SAMHSA Assesses Recent Trends in Illicit Drug Use

THURSDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The use of illicit drugs and alcohol remained similar between 2009 and 2010, but was higher than in 2008, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, published Sept. 8 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at the start of the 22nd annual National Recovery Month held in September in United States.

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Comparative Efficacy Proposed for European Drug Approval

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- New drugs should be compared with existing treatments instead of placebo before their approval in Europe, according to a report published online Sept. 6 in the BMJ.

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Many Hospital Staff Uniforms Contaminated With Bacteria

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- More than 60 percent of hospital staff uniforms are contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria, including drug-resistant species, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

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Medical Students Show Racial, Cultural Patient Preference

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Medical students may have a preferential bias toward whites and wealthier patients, but this does not appear to influence their clinical decision making or physician-patient interactions, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Odds of Board Certification Vary in New Doctors

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Certification of recent U.S. medical school graduates by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) varies across specialties by educational and demographic factors, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 medical education-themed issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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