TY - JOUR
T1 - Introduction of screening guidelines for men who have sex with men at an STD clinic, the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia
AU - Lister, Nichole A.
AU - Smith, Anthony
AU - Fairley, Christopher K.
PY - 2005/12/1
Y1 - 2005/12/1
N2 - Background: A recent audit indicated that a substantial proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) were not screened for rectal gonorrhoea and chlamydia at the Melbourne Sexual Health Clinic, Melbourne, Australia. In response, screening guidelines for MSM were introduced at the clinic using a computer reminder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the guidelines and alert on screening MSM for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Methods: The medical records of MSM were reviewed for gonorrhoea and chlamydia screening by site (pharyngeal, urethral and rectal), four months before the implementation of the guidelines and alert (July to October 2002), and one year thereafter (beginning November 2002). Results: After the introduction of the guidelines there was a significant increase in rectal chlamydia testing (55% to 67%, P < 0.001), and significant reduction in pharyngeal chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing (65% to 28%, P < 0.001, and 83% to 76%, P= 0.015 respectively). The proportion of tests that were positive by any site did not change (7% to 7%). Conclusions: The introduction of a computer reminder for new guidelines was temporally associated with screening that conformed more closely to clinical guidelines.
AB - Background: A recent audit indicated that a substantial proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) were not screened for rectal gonorrhoea and chlamydia at the Melbourne Sexual Health Clinic, Melbourne, Australia. In response, screening guidelines for MSM were introduced at the clinic using a computer reminder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the guidelines and alert on screening MSM for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Methods: The medical records of MSM were reviewed for gonorrhoea and chlamydia screening by site (pharyngeal, urethral and rectal), four months before the implementation of the guidelines and alert (July to October 2002), and one year thereafter (beginning November 2002). Results: After the introduction of the guidelines there was a significant increase in rectal chlamydia testing (55% to 67%, P < 0.001), and significant reduction in pharyngeal chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing (65% to 28%, P < 0.001, and 83% to 76%, P= 0.015 respectively). The proportion of tests that were positive by any site did not change (7% to 7%). Conclusions: The introduction of a computer reminder for new guidelines was temporally associated with screening that conformed more closely to clinical guidelines.
KW - Chlamydia trachomatis
KW - Neisseria gonorrhoeae
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33644871728&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/SH05006
DO - 10.1071/SH05006
M3 - Article
C2 - 16402672
AN - SCOPUS:33644871728
SN - 1448-5028
VL - 2
SP - 241
EP - 244
JO - Sexual Health
JF - Sexual Health
IS - 4
ER -