Effect of an education kiosk on patient knowledge about rapid HIV screening

Patient education is an important part of routine HIV screening. In a pilot study, we assessed the effect of a computer kiosk education module on patient knowledge about routine HIV screening. A systematic sample of walk-in clinic patients completed a questionnaire before and after using the education module. The primary outcome was a composite nine-point knowledge score. Secondary outcomes included willingness to undergo HIV screening and patient satisfaction. Of 185 patients who were eligible to participate, 100 completed the study. The median duration of kiosk interaction was 3.9 min. The median knowledge score increased from 7 to 8 (P < 0.0001) after viewing the module. There was no significant change in the proportion of patients who were interested in HIV screening. The majority of patients expressed excellent (38%) or very good (39%) satisfaction with the kiosk module. The results suggest that a computer kiosk can deliver brief and targeted education to improve knowledge about HIV screening.