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Rapid HIV test in family practice.
C Poirier1, S Aymeric2, L Grammatico-Guillon2
1Service de médecine interne et maladies infectieuses, CHRU de Tours, 2, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France; Université François-Rabelais, 60, rue du Plat-D'Étain, 37020 Tours cedex 1, France.
Medecine Et Maladies Infectieuses
|May 19, 2015
Summary
Family doctors in France support rapid HIV diagnostic tests (RDTs), but practical challenges limit their use in daily practice. Training and ease of use are key barriers to implementing RDTs effectively.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Family Medicine
- Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Background:
- The 2010-2014 HIV/AIDS French program advocates for HIV rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in family practice.
- This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing RDTs within French family practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- Assess family practitioners' (FPs) opinions on new HIV screening guidelines and RDT use.
- Evaluate the practical feasibility of RDTs in family practice over six months.
- Identify impediments to the adoption and utilization of RDTs in primary care settings.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 352 FPs regarding their views on RDTs.
- Six-month feasibility study involving RDT distribution to volunteer FPs.
- Qualitative analysis of 12 FPs' experiences to identify barriers to RDT use.
Main Results:
- 77% of surveyed FPs favored RDT use.
- Key barriers identified: result misinterpretation, quality control complexity, and inadequate training.
- Only 23 of 112 volunteer FPs completed training; only 3 RDTs were used among 69 distributed.
- FPs reported difficulties with RDTs in daily practice due to infrequent opportunities, complex handling, proposing the test, fear of disclosure, and extended consultation times.
Conclusions:
- Family practitioners generally support the concept of using rapid HIV diagnostic tests.
- However, the practical feasibility and overall contribution of RDTs in family practice remain limited due to identified challenges.
