title: Do callers to the NSW Sexual Health Infoline attend the services they are referred to?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The NSW Sexual Health Infoline (SHIL) is a free and confidential sexual health information and referral line. The ability of Australian sexual health helplines to facilitate successful referrals has not been studied. In the present study, we sought to determine whether callers were successful in accessing the publicly funded sexual health services (PFSHS) or general practitioners (GP) they were referred to.
  
  
  METHODS
  Callers to SHIL who were directly referred to a PFSHS or GP for HIV and/or sexually transmissible infection testing from 3 January to 31 March 2012 were offered a follow-up phone call 1 week later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 474 eligible callers, 190 (40%) agreed to disclose a first name and contact details and to be contacted by a study nurse on an agreed-upon date. One hundred and twenty (63%) callers were successfully contacted 1 week later; of these, 85% had attended or had a future appointment booked for testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that among the study sample that was successfully followed up, most callers to the SHIL had attended or booked appointments to the services they were referred to.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.
authors.forename: Margy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ewing
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanlon
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Ruthy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McIver
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNulty
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015277:Hotlines / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060728:Reproductive Health; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult