title: Acceptability and necessity of HIV and other blood-borne virus testing in a psychiatric setting.
abstract: Studies in North America and Europe indicate that the prevalence of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) is elevated in individuals with severe mental illness; there are no comparable data for the UK. We offered routine testing for HIV, and hepatitis B and C in an inner-London in-patient psychiatric unit as a service improvement. Of the patients approached 83% had mental capacity to provide informed consent for testing and 66% of patients offered testing accepted. Although it was not our objective to establish the prevalence of BBVs, 18% of patients had serological evidence of a current or previous BBV infection. We found that offering routine testing in an in-patient psychiatric setting is both practical and acceptable to patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Health Psychology, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanger
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Gira
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phekoo
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Poots
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: Owen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bowden-Jones
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies