Incentivizing HIV/STI testing: a systematic review of the literature.
Suboptimal HIV/STI testing uptake has a profound impact on morbidity and mortality. Incentives have been effective in other areas of medicine and may improve HIV/STI testing uptake rates. This study reviewed the effects of incentives on HIV/STI testing uptake. A systematic search of seven databases was undertaken. Testing uptake was defined as test implementation and/or test result retrieval. Incentives were defined as monetary or non-monetary rewards or free-of-charge testing vouchers. Seven studies were included. All seven studies demonstrated higher rates of uptake in an incentivized group. Incentives offered at a non-clinical setting demonstrated more significant differences in uptake rates compared to incentives offered at a clinical setting. Incentivizing HIV/STI testing uptake, especially testing at a non-clinical setting, may be a useful tool to modify health behavior. Further research is needed to understand how incentives could be an effective component within a comprehensive HIV/STI control strategy.
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, ramon_lee@hms.harvard.edu.
Ramon
R
Lee
Rosa R
RR
Cui
Kathryn E
KE
Muessig
Harsha
H
Thirumurthy
Joseph D
JD
Tucker
D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012201:Reward; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology