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Evaluation of a non-name-based HIV reporting system in San Francisco
Sandra Schwarcz1, Ling Hsu, Priscilla Lee Chu
1San Francisco Department of Public Health, 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102, U.S.A. sandy_schwarcz@dph.sf.ca.us
Objective:
To develop and evaluate a non-name-based HIV reporting system.
Methods:
A population-based study of the accuracy of a set of non-name codes and a prospective study of a laboratory-initiated HIV surveillance system conducted at a county hospital (site 1) and a health maintenance organization (site 2). Participants were persons reported with AIDS in San Francisco and patients with a positive test result for HIV antibody, p24 antigen, viral load, or a CD4 count at the study sites.
Results:
Proper match rate was 95% for records with complete codes and records with at least 50% of the codes. Proper non-match rate was 99% for records with all code elements and 96% for records with at least 50% of the elements. Completeness of reporting was 89% (site 1) and 87% (site 2). Median number of days between test and receipt of test report at the health department was 9 days at site 1 and 7 days at site 2. During 1999, 78% of HIV-infected patients at site 1 and 87% at site 2 had an HIV-specific laboratory test.
Conclusions:
A non-name-based laboratory reporting system for HIV is feasible.