Related Experiment Videos
Partner notification for syphilis: a randomized, controlled trial of three approaches
T A Peterman1, K E Toomey, L W Dicker
1Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|October 27, 1997
Summary
Three syphilis partner notification methods showed similar effectiveness and cost in identifying infected individuals. Further research is needed to improve outreach to partners who remain unreached by current strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Syphilis remains a significant public health concern requiring effective partner notification to control transmission.
- Traditional partner notification strategies aim to identify and treat infected individuals to prevent further spread.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the cost-effectiveness of three distinct approaches for notifying partners of infectious syphilis cases.
- To evaluate the success rates of different partner notification methods in locating and treating exposed individuals.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 1,966 index syphilis patients across three US sites.
- Compared patient-led notification, immediate specialist notification, and specialist notification with field blood draws.
- Measured costs (time, travel, overhead) and outcomes (partners located, treated, and newly infected).
Main Results:
- Across 1,966 index patients, 11,272 partners were potentially exposed; 2,761 investigations were initiated.
- 367 newly identified infections and 870 preventive treatments were administered.
- All three notification methods demonstrated similar success in locating (1.1-1.2/patient) and treating (0.61-0.67/patient) partners, with costs ranging from $317 to $362 per partner treated.
Conclusions:
- Partner notification is crucial for identifying and treating infected and at-risk individuals.
- The three evaluated provider notification strategies yielded comparable cost-effectiveness.
- Novel approaches are necessary to effectively reach infected partners who are not identified through current methods.