Public health reports
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Public health reports · Nov 2008
Emergency department patient acceptance of opt-in, universal, rapid HIV screening.
We assessed emergency department (ED) patient acceptance of opt-in, rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and identified demographic characteristics and HIV testing-history factors associated with acceptance of screening. ⋯ In an opt-in, universal, ED HIV screening program, patient acceptance of screening varied by demography, which indicates that the impact of such screening programs will not be universal. Future research will need to determine methods of increasing uptake of ED HIV screening that transcend patient demographic characteristics, HIV testing history, and motivation for testing.
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Public health reports · Nov 2008
Patient perceptions and acceptance of routine emergency department HIV testing.
We report on the rates of patient acceptance and their perceptions of routine emergency department (ED) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in a high-prevalence area. ⋯ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2006 recommendations on HIV screening are well accepted by the target populations. Further work at explaining the risk of HIV infection to ED patients should be undertaken and may boost the acceptance rate of ED HIV screening.
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Public health reports · Nov 2008
Comparative StudyComparing the costs of HIV screening strategies and technologies in health-care settings.
In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening for people aged 13 to 64 years in all U.S. health-care settings. Earlier recommendations focused on those at high risk for HIV and included more extensive pretest counseling. HIV screening may also involve either rapid or conventional testing. The purpose of this research was to estimate the costs of these different testing procedures and the cost per HIV-infected patient correctly receiving test results in three health-care scenarios that illustrated these policy differences. ⋯ HIV screening in general health-care settings is economically feasible, particularly with rapid tests that lower the cost of HIV-infected patients receiving their test results.