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Table 1 Definitions of terms used in the study

From: Social franchising of community-based HIV counselling and testing services to increase HIV testing and linkage to care in Tshwane, South Africa: study protocol for a non-randomised implementation trial

Terms

Description

Community-based HIV counselling and testing (CBCT)

HIV testing services offered outside of the health facilities but in the community where people live or work. HIV testing services include a general package that includes mobilising clients for testing, consenting, testing, counselling and disseminating HIV prevention services and relevant referrals

Community health workers (CHWs)

Members of the community selected, employed or volunteering to provide basic preventive, promotional and rehabilitative health and medical care to their community members

Health facility-based HIV counselling and testing

HIV testing services offered at the health facilities including consenting, testing, counselling and disseminating HIV prevention services and relevant referrals. Health facilities refers to public and private health clinics. They offer services defined below under HIV testing services.

HIV testing services

These include pre-counselling, testing, post-counselling, condom distribution, sexual behaviour change and communication, referral for care and treatment including medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, HIV treatment. These will be customised per participant’s situation including test result.

Key population

Groups of people defined and known to be of greater risk of HIV infection than the average members of the community. These include MSM, FSWs, people who inject drugs (PWID), transgender people and People in Prisons or other enclosed settings.

Mobile Application

A mobile device such as a tablet loaded with application software that includes the use of GPS triangulation and a questionnaire to collect, save and transmit respondents’ data to enable real-time reporting and informed decision-making

Participant mobilisation

Marketing and informing clients about HIV testing services to create demand for HIV testing services. Mobilisation will be conducted by CBCT team members before and on the day of testing in each community where HIV testing is conducted. Mobilisation will include promotion and awareness campaigns using loud inhalers, distributing pamphlets, erecting banners and talking to passers-by about HIV testing services offered and inviting them to test for HIV.

Social Franchise (SF)

“a network of private individuals/ providers that are linked through agreements to provide socially beneficial health services under a common franchise brand”. A ‘franchisor’ manages the brand and oversees the administration of the program while a “franchisee” implements the brand according to laid down rules

Systematic Home-Based testing and counselling

Mapping Households at the community level and offering door-to-door HIV testing services to household members in the target community. The process was done systematically through visiting all houses, one after the other, in a community in order to avoid missing any dwelling.