The cost of implementing rapid HIV testing in sexually transmitted disease clinics in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Rapid HIV testing in high-risk populations can increase the number of persons who learn their HIV status and avoid spending clinic resources to locate persons identified as HIV infected.

Methods

We determined the cost to sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics of point-of-care rapid HIV testing using data from 7 public clinics that participated in a randomized trial of rapid testing with and without brief patient-centered risk reduction counseling in 2010. Costs included counselor and trainer time, supplies, and clinic overhead. We applied national labor rates and test costs. We calculated median clinic start-up costs and mean cost per patient tested, and projected incremental annual costs of implementing universal rapid HIV testing compared with current test

SUBMITTER: Eggman AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4373404 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature