Human immunodeficiency virus testing and psychosocial outcomes: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Social Sciences

Background:

• No systematic studies detail psychosocial outcomes immediately after HIV testing.
• Lack of consensus on core psychosocial outcomes and measurements post-HIV diagnosis hinders quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and map psychosocial outcomes following human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing.
• To determine the measurements used for these psychosocial outcomes in individuals with new negative or positive test results.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
• Searches of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO for English articles from 2007 to present.
• Data extraction by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved by a team of five.

Main Results:

• This section is to be populated upon completion of the review.

Conclusions:

• This review will establish a comprehensive understanding of psychosocial outcomes and their measurement post-HIV testing.
• Findings will inform the development of a core outcome set for quality improvement in HIV testing services.