The evaluation of HIV counseling-and-testing services: making the most of limited resources

The evaluation of HIV counseling, testing, referral, and partner notification (CTRPN) services are especially important given the rapid, relevant changes in counseling strategies, public policies, and testing technologies. Here we briefly review the important components of a comprehensive HIV CTRPN evaluation. However, resources for evaluation are usually quite limited, thus making comprehensive evaluations impossible. Yet even with limited resources, meaningful evaluative activities can be performed and some pressing evaluation questions answered. As an illustration, we present a practical evaluation project (conducted with limited resources) that assessed at a systems level the HIV counseling and testing (HIV CT) program in the state of Wisconsin. We describe how some of this evaluative information was utilized by the state's division of health.