Assessing user preferences for sexually transmitted infection testing services: a discrete choice experiment.
OBJECTIVE
To assess user preferences for different aspects of sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing services.


METHODS
A discrete choice experiment.


METHODS
14 centres offering tests for STIs in East Sussex, England.


METHODS
People testing for STIs.


METHODS
(Adjusted) ORs in relation to preferred service characteristics.


RESULTS
3358 questionnaires were returned; mean age 26 (SD 9.4) years. 70% (2366) were recruited from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics. The analysis suggested that the most important characteristics to users were whether 'staff had specialist STI knowledge' compared with 'staff without it' (OR 2.55; 95% CI 2.47 to 2.63) and whether 'tests for all STIs' were offered rather than 'some' (OR 2.19; 95% CI 2.12 to 2.25). They remained the most important two service characteristics despite stratifying the analysis by variables such as age and sex. Staff levels of expertise were viewed as particularly important by people attending CASH centres, women and non-men who have sex with men. A 'text or call to a mobile phone' and 'dropping in and waiting' were generally the preferred methods of results reporting and appointment system, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that people testing for STIs place particular importance on testing for all infections rather than some and staff with specialist STI knowledge. Thus, targets based purely on waiting up to 48 h for an appointment are misguided from a user perspective.
Faculty of Public Health and Policy, Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. alec.miners@lshtm.ac.uk
Alec
A
Miners
Carrie
C
Llewellyn
Alex
A
Pollard
Mylene
M
Lagarde
Daniel
D
Richardson
John
J
Cairns
Martin
M
Fisher
Helen
H
Smith
D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult