Title
Operations research study to implement HIV and syphilis point-of-care tests and assess client perceptions in a marginalised area of Lima, Peru
Date Issued
04 September 2015
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
SAGE Publications
Abstract
In Peru, a significant proportion of people tested for HIV and syphilis do not receive timely results. Our objective was to assess the institutional feasibility of implementing simultaneous HIV/syphilis point-of-care tests and client perceptions regarding these point-of-care tests. Point-of-care tests were implemented in a hospital consultation room in a marginalised zone of Lima. A time-series design was used to compare the proportion of tested clients who received timely results, with and without the point-of-care test intervention. Experience and satisfaction with point-of-care tests was evaluated with 149 people. In the 6 months without intervention, 69% and 61% of clients tested for HIV and syphilis, respectively, received their results within the required 45-minute window. During the 2-month point-of-care test intervention, all clients tested for HIV (n = 387) and syphilis (n = 398) received their results within 45 minutes. All clients surveyed were completely satisfied (52%) or satisfied (48%) with the simultaneous HIV/syphilis point-of-care test screening process. Additionally, 73% strongly agreed with the statement ‘I feel satisfied with the rapid testing process.’ Screening using point-of-care tests represents an important opportunity to reduce the time, resource and cost burden for users and institutions and increase the proportion of users receiving their test results in a timely manner.
Start page
723
End page
728
Volume
26
Issue
10
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias socio biomédicas (planificación familiar, salud sexual, efectos políticos y sociales de la investigación biomédica)
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84938535363
PubMed ID
Source
International Journal of STD and AIDS
ISSN of the container
09564624
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus