Related Experiment Videos
Community control of Chlamydia trachomatis
K E Rogstad1, G R Kinghorn, M Horton
1Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
Insights
Nearly half of Chlamydia trachomatis infections are diagnosed outside genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics. However, most patients are eventually referred to GUM, though referral rates vary significantly by service.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Sexual Health
Background:
- Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection.
- Diagnosis and management of C. trachomatis often involve genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.
- Understanding the extent of diagnosis outside GUM clinics is crucial for comprehensive public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the diagnosis of C. trachomatis outside of GUM clinics in a university city.
- To assess the subsequent referral rates of these patients to GUM services.
- To identify variations in referral patterns across different healthcare services.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of all positive C. trachomatis diagnoses from non-GUM sources in 1996.
- Data collection included specimens from hospitals and community settings.
- Ascertainment of subsequent attendance at GUM clinics for diagnosed patients.
Main Results:
- Out of 809 C. trachomatis cases, 397 (49%) were initially diagnosed outside GUM.
- Of those diagnosed outside GUM, 264 (66.5%) were referred, leading to GUM involvement in 83.6% of all cases.
- Referral proportions varied significantly: Family Planning Clinics (94.5%), Obstetrics and Gynaecology (73%), General Practice (52.5%), with University Health Services showing marked variation (19% vs 73%).
Conclusions:
- Referral rates for C. trachomatis diagnoses made in the community vary by healthcare service type and even within services.
- High referral rates to GUM are achievable, but inter- and intra-service variations necessitate targeted improvement efforts.
- Service proximity to GUM clinics did not appear to influence referral rates.
Unlabelled:
In order to determine the amount of Chlamydia trachomatis that is diagnosed outside genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in a large university city, a review of all positive chlamydial infections diagnosed on specimens received from hospitals (non-GUM) and community sources in 1996 was performed. It was also ascertained whether these patients subsequently attended at GUM. Eight hundred and nine cases of C. trachomatis were diagnosed during the study period. Three hundred and ninety-seven (49%) were initially diagnosed outside GUM of which 264 (66.5%) were referred, giving an overall involvement of GUM in 667 (83.6%) of all cases. The proportion of cases referred varied according to service: Family Planning Clinics 94.5%, Obstetrics and Gynaecology 73%, General Practice 52.5%. Referral rates also showed within service variation, with University Health Services referring 19% vs 73% (P < 0.001). High levels of referral to GUM of patients diagnosed with C. trachomatis are achievable, but referrals show inter- and intra-service variations. Efforts should be made to improve referral rates from those services with the lowest rates.
In Conclusion:
(1) The proportion of cases of C. trachomatis diagnosed in the community who are referred to a GUM clinic, varies according to service type. (2) Referral rates vary within services and (3) Distance of services from a GUM clinic does not appear to influence referral rates.