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.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. carbelaez@partners.org
Christian
C
Arbelaez
Brian
B
Block
Elena
E
Losina
Elizabeth A
EA
Wright
William M
WM
Reichmann
Regina
R
Mikulinsky
Jessica D
JD
Solomon
Matthew M
MM
Dooley
Rochelle P
RP
Walensky