DATABASE ON ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR AIDS

THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IS A MATTER OF SERIOUS AND GROWING CONCERNTO THE HEALTH COMMUNITY. SINCE THERE CURRENTLY EXIST NO MEDICAL PREVENTIVES OR CURES FOR AIDS, THE HEALTH COMMUNITY IS CONCENTRATING ON EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE WHILE RESEARCH IS BEING CONDUCTED ON POTENTIAL TREATMENT METHODS. UNTIL SUCH TREATMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE, THE AIDS VICTIMS HAVE BECOME "FAIR GAME" FOR A PLETHORA OF PURVEYORS OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS. THESE TREATMENTS RANGE FROM OUTRIGHT FRAUDS TO USE OF NATURAL PRODUCTS THAT MIGHT INDEED HAVE SOME VALUE IF PROPERLY EVALUATED IN RIGOROUS SCREENING TESTS. THEY FREQUENTLY ARE PRESENTED IN COMBINATION WITH MISINFORMATION OR MISLEADING INFORMATION, UNDERMINING THE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE MEDICAL ACTIVITIES. WE PROPOSE TO ESTABLISH A COMPUTERIZED DATABASE ON UNPROVED METHODS FOR TREATMENT OF AIDS. SOURCE MATERIAL FOR THE DATABASE WILL BEOBTAINED FROM THE CONSUMER LITERATURE, THE ALTERNATIVE METHODS PURVEYORS AND DIRECTLY FROM AIDS VICTIMS AND THEIR PHYSICIANS. A PROTOTYPE DATABASE AND MICROCOMPUTER DELIVERYSYSTEM WILL BE DEMONSTRATED AT THE END OF PHASE I. PHASE IIWILL ESTABLISH THE DATABASE AS A COMMERCIAL SERVICE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.