Rapid HIV testing program implementation: lessons from the emergency department.
BACKGROUND
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the World Health Organization (WHO) both recommend HIV testing in health-care settings. However, neither organization provides prescriptive details regarding how these recommendations should be adapted into clinical practice in an emergency department.


METHODS
We have implemented an HIV-testing program in the ED of a major academic medical center within the scope of the Universal Screening for HIV Infection in the Emergency Room (USHER) Trial-a randomized clinical trial evaluating the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of HIV screening in this setting.


CONCLUSIONS
Drawing on our collective experiences in establishing programs domestically and internationally, we offer a practical framework of lessons learned so that others poised to embark on such HIV testing programs may benefit from our experiences.
Arbelaez
Christian
C
Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. carbelaez@partners.org
Block
Brian
B
Losina
Elena
E
Wright
Elizabeth A
EA
Reichmann
William M
WM
Mikulinsky
Regina
R
Solomon
Jessica D
JD
Dooley
Matthew M
MM
Walensky
Rochelle P
RP