2022 · Open forum infectious diseases · open access
Feasibility and Acceptability of Home-Collected Samples for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Preexposure Prophylaxis and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Laboratory Tests in San Francisco Primary Care Clinics
Saberi et al.
The finding, in our words
Among 92 patients on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, 79.3 per cent returned home-collected kits comprising dried blood spots, urine, and oropharyngeal swabs. Nearly 87.7 per cent were extremely to moderately satisfied with avoiding clinic visits, and mean turnaround fell from 17 to 5 days, showing self-collection is a feasible, patient-centric model for decentralised sexual health and SARS-CoV-2 screening.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
The study found that self-collection of dried blood spots and other samples using at-home kits was a useful and cost-effective method for screening a large cohort for sexually transmitted infections outside a clinic. This demonstrates the feasibility of decentralised, patient-centric sampling for population-level infectious disease surveillance.
Mimiaga et al., Sexually transmitted infections (paywalled) · source ↗
This pilot study demonstrated that a fully remote web-based testing programme for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections was feasible and acceptable overall, although participants encountered specific collection challenges with the dried blood spot component.
Christensen et al., International journal of STD & AIDS · source ↗
The study found that DBS testing showed high specificity for HIV, HBV and HCV and perfect sensitivity for HIV and HBV, but lower sensitivity for syphilis and HCV, with creatinine measurements slightly higher than venous samples. Despite challenges in sample adequacy, DBS was acceptable to participants and could support decentralised STI and renal monitoring in men who have sex with men.
Nieuwenburg et al., Sexually transmitted diseases · source ↗
Dried blood spot testing achieved high acceptability among Métis community members in a culturally tailored pilot. Participants valued the ease of self-collection, the reduction of logistical barriers and stigma through event-based delivery, and the provision of Métis-specific services, suggesting that community-centred microsampling can expand HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening in decentralised diagnostics.
Landy et al., BMC health services research · source ↗
Most men who have sex with men could self-administer HIV rapid tests and correctly interpret results, but 27% of dried blood spot cards were of poor quality and interpretation was difficult when control lines were absent, suggesting instructions need refinement before decentralised deployment.
MacGowan et al., AIDS and behavior (paywalled) · source ↗