Self-sampling and self-testing for HIV at a commercial and community-based test provider in the Netherlands: user preferences and usability
Willemstein et al.
The finding, in our words
Among 133 users of HIV self-sampling and self-testing in the Netherlands, the commonest reason for choosing this route was saving time, followed by anonymity and avoiding a GP visit. However, 22% encountered problems, with seven in ten of those struggling to obtain enough blood from a finger prick, showing that while self-testing expands reach, blood collection remains a key usability hurdle for decentralised HIV screening.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
The Tasso+ device, which uses a vacuum to collect capillary blood from the upper arm, gathered an average of 536 microlitres of whole blood from 47 men who have sex with men using PrEP, with 91% of samples sufficient for HIV testing and 89% for syphilis testing. Acceptability was high, with 87% expressing a positive attitude and 77% willing to use the device again for home self-sampling.
The Tasso OnDemand device was well accepted by participants, with nearly all finding it easy to use and feeling confident they could self-sample at home, and paired self-collected and clinician-collected specimens showed high agreement for HIV, syphilis and creatinine tests. While most users collected enough serum for two monitoring tests, only a third produced sufficient volume for three tests, suggesting a larger-volume device may be preferable for full guideline-recommended PrEP monitoring.
In a cohort of 62 participants evaluating home self-collection with the TassoPlus device, 38 returned samples, with 29% excluded due to insufficient plasma volume below 200 ΔL. Although viral load measurements in adequate samples correlated well with conventional testing (r = 0.800), the high failure rate and missed detection in low-volume viremic samples indicate that further technical refinements are necessary before clinical adoption.
In a feasibility randomised controlled trial with 28 adults aged 65 years, 62% successfully self-collected finger-prick capillary blood samples for influenza antibody and vitamin D measurement. While overall study procedures were acceptable, the capillary sampling method requires refinement before wider deployment in decentralised diagnostics for older adults.
A UK survey of 2,816 healthcare workers found that 74% preferred at-home PCR testing and 52% preferred at-home serological sampling over hospital visits; some reported blood-collection or kit difficulties, and the authors conclude that home sampling is acceptable and workable for keeping participants in long-running studies.