Early detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and hepatitis B and C are vital to minimise the harm they cause.

This Evidence Check aimed to identify effective initiatives that engage and support GPs and the GP clinic workforce in NSW to increase testing for these conditions. It also aimed to identify effective modifications to practice management software to increase GP engagement in screening and care for these conditions.

Sixty-two articles were found in total. The most effective initiatives used multiple interventions, particularly provider education and quality improvement. They involved both GPs and other health workers, and offered clinic-level initiatives to help identify patients at higher risk (e.g. software-generated alerts) and engage them in testing (e.g. through self-collected specimens). Models of care that used nurse-led testing or links to specialist services offered a way to increase capacity to carry out testing.

The quality of evidence was mixed—there were few randomised controlled trials, and little evidence about the sustainability of the initiatives over time, highlighting the need for further high-quality research.

Citation

Jane Goller, Stephanie Munari, Cassandra Caddy, Teralynn Ludwick, Jacqueline Coombe, Meredith Temple-Smith, Lena Sanci, Jane Hocking. General Practice engagement: STI, HIV and viral hepatitis care: an Evidence Check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute (www.saxinstitute.org.au) for the NSW Ministry of Health, 2023.
doi:10.57022/lnur4773

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