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Mixed-methods evaluation of a novel online STI results service.

Gibbs, J; Aicken, CRH; Sutcliffe, LJ; Gkatzidou, V; Tickle, LJ; Hone, K; Sadiq, ST; Sonnenberg, P; Estcourt, CS (2018) Mixed-methods evaluation of a novel online STI results service. Sex Transm Infect, 94 (8). pp. 622-624. ISSN 1472-3263 https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2017-053318
SGUL Authors: Sadiq, Syed Tariq

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Evidence on optimal methods for providing STI test results is lacking. We evaluated an online results service, developed as part of an eSexual Health Clinic (eSHC). METHODS: We evaluated the online results service using a mixed-methods approach within large exploratory studies of the eSHC. Participants were chlamydia- positive and negative users of online postal self-sampling services in six National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) areas and chlamydia-positive patients from two genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics between 21 July 2014 and 13 March 2015. Participants received a discreetly worded National Health Service 'NHS no-reply' text message (SMS) informing them that their test results were ready and providing a weblink to a secure website. Participants logged in with their date of birth and mobile telephone or clinic number. Chlamydia-positive patients were offered online management. All interactions with the eSHC system were automatically logged and their timing recorded. Post-treatment, a service evaluation survey (n=152) and qualitative interviews (n=36) were conducted by telephone. Chlamydia-negative patients were offered a short online survey (n=274). Data were integrated. RESULTS: 92% (134/146) of NCSP chlamydia-positive patients, 82% (161/197) of GUM chlamydia-positive patients and 89% (1776/1997) of NCSP chlamydia-negative participants accessed test results within 7 days. 91% of chlamydia-positive patients were happy with the results service; 64% of those who had tested previously found the results service better or much better than previous experiences. 90% of chlamydia-negative survey participants agreed they would be happy to receive results this way in the future. Interviewees described accessing results with ease and appreciated the privacy and control the two-step process gave them. CONCLUSION: A discreet SMS to alert users/patients that results are available, followed by provision of results via a secure website, was highly acceptable, irrespective of test result and testing history. The eSHC results service afforded users privacy and control over when they viewed results without compromising access.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Open Access This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
Keywords: chlamydia infection, clinical sti care, service delivery, testing, Public Health, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1117 Public Health And Health Services, 1108 Medical Microbiology
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Infection and Immunity Research Institute (INII)
Journal or Publication Title: Sex Transm Infect
ISSN: 1472-3263
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
December 2018Published
11 January 2018Published Online
10 December 2017Accepted
Publisher License: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Projects:
Project IDFunderFunder ID
G0901608Medical Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000265
PubMed ID: 29326179
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/109566
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2017-053318

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