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Health department policies in
Australia differ in their recommendations regarding giving patients their HIV
test results. Traditionally, all HIV results have been provided in person. The
team undertook the current study to trial the provision of HIV-negative test
results by telephone to clients at low risk of infection who visited sexual
health services, and to assess patients’ preferences for method of delivery.
At two Sydney sexual health services
during four months in 2009, all patients assessed as being at low risk for
infection were invited to receive their HIV test result by phone. Not receiving
results was defined as the failure to learn the results within 30 days of
testing.
In all, 763 clients were tested: 328
(43 percent) were excluded following risk assessment; 30 (4 percent) declined
to take part; and 405 (53 percent) were enrolled. Among those enrolled, 86
percent learned their test result by phone within 30 days; 97 percent reported
satisfaction with delivery of the result by phone; and 93 percent indicated a
preference for telephone delivery of their next HIV test result. The test
result was positive for only one enrolled client. Independent predictors for
receiving results within 30 days were clinic attendance for STI screening
(P=0.021), no anogenital symptoms (P=0.015), and not being a sex worker
(P=0.001).
“In this study of telephone
provision of HIV results to low HIV-risk clients, there were no adverse events,
and clients expressed satisfaction with the process plus a strong preference for
telephone delivery of future results,” the authors concluded. “There was a
decreased rate of failure to receive HIV results compared with other Australian
studies.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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