title: Partner notification of chlamydia infection in primary care: randomised controlled trial and analysis of resource use.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of a practice nurse led strategy to improve the notification and treatment of partners of people with chlamydia infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  27 general practices in the Bristol and Birmingham areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  140 men and women with chlamydia (index cases) diagnosed by screening of a home collected urine sample or vulval swab specimen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Partner notification at the general practice immediately after diagnosis by trained practice nurses, with telephone follow up by a health adviser; or referral to a specialist health adviser at a genitourinary medicine clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary outcome was the proportion of index cases with at least one treated sexual partner. Specified secondary outcomes included the number of sexual contacts elicited during a sexual history, positive test result for chlamydia six weeks after treatment, and the cost of each strategy in 2003 sterling prices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  65.3% (47/72) of participants receiving practice nurse led partner notification had at least one partner treated compared with 52.9% (39/68) of those referred to a genitourinary medicine clinic (risk difference 12.4%, 95% confidence interval -1.8% to 26.5%). Of 68 participants referred to the clinic, 21 (31%) did not attend. The costs per index case were 32.55 pounds sterling for the practice nurse led strategy and 32.62 pounds sterling for the specialist referral strategy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practice based partner notification by trained nurses with telephone follow up by health advisers is at least as effective as referral to a specialist health adviser at a genitourinary medicine clinic, and costs the same. Trial registration Clinical trials: NCT00112255.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR. low@ispm.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Tracy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huengsberg
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Jonathan A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sterne
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macleod
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salisbury
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pye
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holloway
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morcom
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Paddy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Horner
authors.forename: Pelham M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egger
mesh_terms: D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data