title: Testing times: testing patient acceptance and ability to self-screen for a No-Talk Testing service.
abstract: Genitourinary medicine (GUM) departments need to be resource efficient to manage the increasing numbers of patients seeking to access services. At the Edinburgh GUM department, we wished to develop a new No-Talk Testing (NTT) clinic for asymptomatic, low-risk patients attending for routine sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening. We undertook a questionnaire feasibility study to determine patient acceptability and ability to self-screen for this service. A total of 267 respondents completed questionnaires regarding acceptability of a future NTT service; 227 agreed to comparison of their self-screen with clinician risk-assessment. Overall, patient acceptability for a future NTT service was high, with an average of 7.8/10 awarded for opinion. Seventy-three percent of patients agreed they would consider utilizing such a service in the future. Sixty-one percent of respondents suggested at least one benefit to a future NTT service; principally, prospects for increased speed, efficiency, capacity and reduced waiting times. Comparing STI risk self-assessment with clinician assessment, discrepancies were identified for 37% of individuals. However, a majority (70%) of the discrepancies identified were due to a risk being noted in the self-screen alone, and missed from clinician notes. In summary, the study demonstrated NTT as acceptable and feasible. Based on these results, we have now successfully introduced such a service within our department.
authors: Chalmers Sexual Health Centre, NHS Lothian, 2A Chalmers Street, Edinburgh EH3 9ES, UK. imali.fernando@luht.scot.nhs.uk
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Fernando
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010358:Patient Participation; D057240:Patient Preference; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012606:Scotland; D012648:Self Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV; asymptomatic screening; high-risk behaviour; screening; sexual behaviour; sexual health service; sexually transmitted infections