Hotline FAQ
The Hotline and Perinatal HIV Prevention in Illinois
Q: Why has Illinois developed a statewide Perinatal HIV Hotline and safety net of prevention?
A:
Rates of perinatal transmission of HIV can be reduced to less than 2%1 if pregnant HIV-infected women are in care and receive optimal treatment. The Perinatal HIV Hotline is one component of the statewide safety net of services designed to identify pregnant HIV-infected women and link them to care. The Hotline was developed to act as a lynchpin of the safety net offering medical consultation, activating enhanced case management to link women to care, and providing support and follow-up for rapid HIV testing in labor and delivery units.
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Q: What is the safety net of perinatal HIV prevention in Illinois?
A:
The Illinois Department of Public Health has partnered with the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative and other organizations to develop a statewide safety net for perinatal HIV designed to identify and link to care pregnant HIV-infected women who might otherwise fall through the cracks in the health care system. The key elements of the safety net include the 24/7 Illinois Perinatal HIV Hotline, rapid HIV testing in labor and delivery units throughout the state, and enhanced perinatal HIV case management for the highest risk women and their infants.
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Q: What is the 24/7 Illinois Perinatal HIV Hotline?
A:
The Hotline is a resource for perinatal care providers working with pregnant HIV-positive women and their newborns. It provides immediate medical and social service consultation and links pregnant HIV-positive women and their newborns to care during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It is available to the entire state of Illinois - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - and is funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
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Q: Who staffs the Hotline?
A:
The Hotline is staffed by medical and social service care providers from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hospital, and the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative Enhanced Case Management Program.
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Q: Who can call the Hotline?
A:
The Hotline primarily serves medical and social service providers. Women who are HIV-positive and pregnant are also encouraged to call for information and linkage to services.
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Hotline Services
Q: Can the Hotline help me with treatment information for a patient in my care?
A:
The Hotline provides information about the most up-to-date treatments for pregnant HIV-positive women and newborns. This includes medical consultation on HIV related obstetric and pediatric issues.
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Q: Can the Hotline help to interpret HIV test results?
A:
The Hotline can assist providers in interpreting HIV test results, including indeterminate Western Blot results, and can offer recommendations for additional testing and care.
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Q: How can the Hotline help with a pregnant patient that has just been diagnosed with HIV during routine prenatal care?
A:
Routine HIV testing during prenatal care is an effective way to achieve timely identification of pregnant women who are HIV-positive. The Hotline can assist you in referring your patient to a provider in your area specialized in the care of pregnant HIV-positive women as well as link your patient to a safety net of services. The Hotline maintains a comprehensive directory of medical and social service resources for every county in Illinois.
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Q: Can the Hotline assist with a pregnant, HIV-infected woman who has not received consistent prenatal care and is at high risk for perinatal transmission?
A:
High-risk women often fall through the cracks in the medical system and fail to receive necessary treatment and care. For this purpose, the Hotline collaborates with the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative’s enhanced case management program The enhanced case manager can link the patient to HIV/OB care, provide transportation and/or escort to medical appointments, and assist with any and all other social service needs.
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The Hotline and Rapid HIV Testing
Q: How does the Hotline support rapid HIV testing in labor and delivery units?
A:
The Hotline is designated by law to receive reports of preliminary positive rapid HIV tests on women and newborns in labor and delivery units in Illinois. Through real-time reporting, the Hotline can ensure medical consultation to help prevent transmission of HIV. Additionally, the Hotline can dispatch an enhanced case manager to the hospital to provide the patient with support during the time between the preliminary positive test and the confirmatory result. For confirmed positive patients, the enhanced case manager will coordinate all follow-up postpartum HIV care for the mother and the exposed infant and address all social service needs.
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Q: Am I required to call the Hotline if I have a patient with a preliminary positive rapid HIV test in labor and delivery?
A:
In order to meet state requirements, all positive rapid tests in labor and delivery units must be reported to the Hotline within 24 hours of birth, as mandated by law in the Perinatal HIV Prevention Act. Positive rapid tests on newborns must also be reported to the Hotline. In addition, timely reporting allows the Hotline to assist you with medical consultation to help prevent transmission of HIV and to provide linkage to case management to ensure follow-up care.
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Service Area
Q: Can the Hotline help if my patient or client lives outside of Chicago?
A:
The Hotline serves all of Illinois. The Hotline can assist with linkage to HIV/OB care and social services for pregnant HIV-positive women and newborns no matter where they live in the state.
1U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Pregnancy and Childbirth",
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/perinatal/index.htm, accessed January 15, 2008.
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