title: A nurse-led intervention improved blood-borne virus testing and vaccination in Victorian prisons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Testing is the first step in treatment and care for blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As new treatments for viral hepatitis emerge, it is important to document effective models for BBV/STI testing. A nurse-led intervention was implemented across three prisons in Victoria to improve BBV/STI testing. We evaluated the impact of the intervention on BBV/STI testing rates and hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination for reception prisoners.
  
  
  METHODS
  BBV/STI testing and HBV vaccination data were collected from the medical files of 100 consecutive reception prisoners at three prisons (n=300) prior to and after the intervention was implemented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BBV testing increased significantly from 21% of prisoners to 62% post-intervention. Testing for some STIs increased significantly, but remained low: 5% to 17% for chlamydia and 1% to 5% for gonorrhoea. HBV vaccination increased significantly from 2% to 19%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The nurse-led intervention resulted in substantially increased testing and vaccination, demonstrating the benefits of a concerted effort to improve BBV and STI management in correctional settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The availability of new treatments for hepatitis C has precipitated expansion of treatment in prisons. Improving the testing rate of prisoners, the first step in the treatment cascade, will maximise the benefits.
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Victoria.|School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Winter
authors: Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors: Bethany
authors: B
authors: White
authors: Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Queensland.|Menzies Health Institute, Griffith University, Queensland.|Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors: Stuart A
authors: SA
authors: Kinner
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Victoria.|School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Stoové
authors: The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Guy
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Victoria.|School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.
authors: Margaret E
authors: ME
authors: Hellard
mesh_terms: D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008499:Medical Records; D009739:Nursing Services; D011329:Prisoners; D011330:Prisons; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D014739:Victoria; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000097:blood*
keywords: diagnostic services; immunisation; prisons; sexually transmitted diseases; viral hepatitis