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Routine ED patient screening increases HIV diagnosis, treatment
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Routine HIV screening programs are valuable for reducing the number of patients who are unaware of their HIV status and connecting these patients to medical care, according to recent findings.
In an MMWR report, researchers characterized two novel HIV screening programs funded by Gilead Sciences’ HIV on the Frontlines of Communities in the United States (FOCUS) program, which is dedicated to routine HIV screening. Through the FOCUS program, the EHR offers an HIV test to all emergency department (ED) and urgent care center patients aged between 13 and 64 years who have no recorded HIV test within the past 6 months.
The data provided for this study were derived from FOCUS programs at two locations: Urban Health Plan (UHP) Inc. in New York City, and Interim Louisiana Hospital (ILH) in New Orleans.
The program at UHP screened a monthly average of 986 patients between January 2011 and September 2013. Of the 32,534 patients who underwent screening, HIV-positive results were seen in 148 (0.45%). Of these patients, all but one received test results and 43 (29%) had not been previously diagnosed with HIV. None of the HIV-positive patients had been undergoing HIV medical treatment, but 120 (81%) were subsequently connected to appropriate medical care.
At ILH, an average of 1,323 patients per month were screened for HIV between mid-March and December 2013. Of 12,568 patients screened, 102 (0.81%) tested positive for HIV, and 100 (98%) received their test results. Three quarters of the HIV-positive patients were newly diagnosed, and five (5%) had acute HIV infection. Of the 91 patients not already undergoing medical treatment, 67 (74%) were successfully linked to care.
According to the researchers, these findings underscore the value of routine screening in facilitating HIV diagnosis and treatment.
“The findings of both FOCUS programs demonstrate that routine HIV screening using existing clinical staff increased the numbers of patients tested and diagnosed with HIV infection,” the researchers wrote. “Active linkage is an essential element of a routine screening program to ensure that HIV-infected persons receive HIV care and services.
These integrated routine HIV screening programs can serve as models for other emergency and primary health-care settings.”
Disclosure: The FOCUS programs were funded by Gilead Sciences.
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