title: Effectiveness of a pilot partner notification program for new HIV cases in Barcelona, Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An estimated 30% of HIV cases in the European Union are not aware of their serological status. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a pilot HIV partner notification program.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV cases diagnosed between January 2012 and June 2013 at two healthcare settings in Barcelona were invited to participate in a prospective survey. We identified process and outcome measures to evaluate this partner notification program, including the number of partners identified per interviewed index case, the proportion of partners tested for HIV as a result of the partner notification, and the proportion of new HIV diagnoses among their sex or needle-sharing partners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 125 index cases contacted, 108 (86.4%) agreed to provide information about partners. A total of 199 sexual partners were identified (1.8 partners per interviewed index case). HIV outcome was already known for 58 partners (70.7% were known to be HIV-positive), 141 partners were tested as result of partner notification, and 26 were newly diagnosed with HIV. The case-finding effectiveness of the program was 18.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot program provides evidence of the effectiveness of a partner notification program implemented in healthcare settings. This active partner notification program was feasible, acceptable to the user, and identified a high proportion of HIV-infected patients previously unaware of their status.
authors: EpidemiologyService,Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Consortium of the Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Garcia de Olalla
authors: EpidemiologyService,Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Internal Medicine-InfectiousDiseases,University Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Ema
authors: E
authors: Molas
authors: Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, University Hospital Valld'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: María Jesús
authors: MJ
authors: Barberà
authors: Preventive Interventions and Programs Service,Agència de SalutPública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Martín
authors: Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, University Hospital Valld'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Encarnació
authors: E
authors: Arellano
authors: Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, University Hospital Valld'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Mercè
authors: M
authors: Gosch
authors: Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, University Hospital Valld'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Saladie
authors: Internal Medicine-InfectiousDiseases,University Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Carbonell
authors: Internal Medicine-InfectiousDiseases,University Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Hernando
authors: H
authors: Knobel
authors: Preventive Interventions and Programs Service,Agència de SalutPública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Consortium of the Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Elia
authors: E
authors: Diez
authors: EpidemiologyService,Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Consortium of the Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Joan A
authors: JA
authors: Caylà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013030:Spain