title: Providing HIV results via SMS one day after testing: more popular than rapid point-of-care tests.
abstract: An inner Sydney sexual health service introduced the option to gay and bisexual men of receiving a negative HIV result by SMS to mobile phone one business day after venipuncture (rapid SMS). Men could also choose one of the other options: a point-of-care-test (POCT), by phone, or in-person (clinicians could also require in-person). We followed-up patients choosing the rapid SMS method to ascertain their satisfaction. During 12 months, 473 men had 591 HIV tests. Of these tests, 5.4% were POCTs, 9.1% were in-person, 24% were by phone, and 62% were rapid SMS. HIV POCTs declined from being 22% of result methods in the pre-study period to 5.4% during the rapid SMS intervention period (odds ratio 0.20, 95% CI 0.13-0.32, P < 0.0001). Phone/in-person results declined from 78% to 33% (odds ratio 0.14, 95% CI 0.10-0.20, P < 0.0001). SMS was sent by the next business day in 95% of cases; 96% of men were satisfied; and 95% would choose this method for their next test. Of 77 men who previously had an HIV POCT, 56 (73%) elected a rapid SMS result rather than having another POCT. The higher accuracy of conventional serology was commonly expressed as the reason for choosing rapid SMS for results.
authors.affiliation: 1 Northern Sydney Sexual Health Service, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.|2 Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: 1 Northern Sydney Sexual Health Service, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.|3 School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: 1 Northern Sydney Sexual Health Service, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.affiliation: 4 ImmunoRheumatology Laboratory, Pathology North Sydney, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.affiliation: 2 Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|4 ImmunoRheumatology Laboratory, Pathology North Sydney, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Suran L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Fernando
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D001727:Bisexuality; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D018962:Phlebotomy; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing; D060145:Text Messaging
keywords: HIV; SMS; rapid testing; results