Table 3 Studies included in the review that report on how the HIV test is performed
From: HIV testing within general practices in Europe: a mixed-methods systematic review
Author, year | Country | Study design | Study population | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Agusti, 2013 [50] | Spain | Cross-sectional questionnaire survey, 2012 | 1308 GPsa from the two largest Spanish scientific medical societies for family and community medicine | 70% not knowing how to use a rapid HIV test; 80% willing to use it. |
Donker, 2013 [29] | Netherlands | Retrospective cohort study within the Dutch sentinel general practice network, 1988–2009 | 56 GPs in 42 general practices | For the period 1988–2009, 77 to 93% of HIV tests were based on the patient’s request. |
Fraisse, 2015 [37] | France | Cross-sectional questionnaire survey, 2013 | 78 GPs working in a 150,000-population district in the south of France | Main reasons for HIV testing were patient request (91%) and risk of HIV infection (62%). 69% of GPs never communicated an HIV diagnosis. 33% of GPs were informed about rapid HIV testing; 85% agreed with training on rapid HIV testing. |
Gauthier, 2012 [51] | France | Prospective interventional study offering rapid testing in primary care, 2010 | 62 GPs and 383 primary care patients, covering six French regions + 72 GPs participating in the evaluation post intervention | 60% of GPs were willing to use rapid tests for HIV. |
Hall, 2015 [40] | France | Cross-sectional questionnaire survey among family physicians in the Pays de la Loire, 2011–2012 | 871 GPs | HIV testing practices were mostly risk-based driven or as part of a diagnostic procedure. |
Joore, 2016 [42] | Netherlands | Qualitative study with FGDs and in depth-interviews, 2014 | 6 FGDsb including 81 GPs and in- depth interviews with 9 key-informants | GPs tend to cling to risk-based HIV testing. |
Joore, 2017 [32] | Netherlands | Cross-sectional questionnaire survey among newly diagnosed HIV infected patients presenting at 2 HIV outpatient clinics in Amsterdam, 2014–2016 | 111 newly diagnosed HIV patients | In the 5 years prior to HIV diagnosis, 82.9% of the 111 patients had one or more consultations with their GP; 34.8% had one or more HIV tests performed in general practice during this period. In more than 50% of the cases the positive test was done on the request of the patient. |
Loos, 2014 [48] | Belgium | Qualitative evaluation making use of FGDs and in-depth interviews, 2011–2012 | 65 GPs in Flanders implementing a tool to proactively offer HIV testing to Sub-Saharan African migrants | Suggesting an HIV test without a patient’s request needs a window of opportunity such as a blood test for other medical reasons. |
Manirankunda, 2012 [49] | Belgium | Qualitative study making use of in-depth interviews, 2007–2008 | 20 GPs in the cities of Ghent and Antwerp | HIV testing was mostly patient-initiated. No explicit informed consent was asked; no pre-test counselling; personal communication of positive test results. |
Poirier, 2015 [38] | France | Multi-center observational and interventional study offering rapid HIV testing, 2012–2013 | 352 GPs participating in the questionnaire survey and 23 GPs volunteering to use rapid testing | 77% of GPs was in favour of using rapid testing. |
Rochetti, 2015 [35] | France | Cross-sectional questionnaire survey, 2012 | 407 GPs in Paris | 74% of GPs had prescribed up to 10 HIV tests in the previous month; 47% had prescribed the latest HIV tests without waiting for the patient’s request. |
Thornton, 2012 [36] | UK | Qualitative study with FGDs embedded within an interventional study offering routine testing in non-traditional settings including primary care, 2009–2010 | 6 FGDs in the pre-testing phase including 10 GPs; 7 FGDs in the post-testing phase including 8 GPs | Before the intervention, HIV testing practices were mostly risk-based driven or as part of a diagnostic procedure. The use of rapid tests during the intervention phase was received favourably. |