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Surveillance of HIV assisted partner services using routine health information systems in Kenya
- Source :
- BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Background The utilization of routine health information systems (HIS) for surveillance of assisted partner services (aPS) for HIV in sub-Saharan is sub-optimal, in part due to poor data quality and limited use of information technology. Consequently, little is known about coverage, scope and quality of HIV aPS. Yet, affordable electronic data tools, software and data transmission infrastructure are now widely accessible in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We designed and implemented a cased-based surveillance system using the HIV testing platform in 18 health facilities in Kenya. The components of this system included an electronic HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) intake form, data transmission on the Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM), and data collection using the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform. We defined rates of new HIV diagnoses, and characterized HIV-infected cases. We also determined the proportion of clients who reported testing for HIV because a) they were notified by a sexual partner b) they were notified by a health provider, or c) they were informed of exposure by another other source. Data collection times were evaluated. Results Among 4351 clients, HIV prevalence was 14.2 %, ranging from 4.4–25.4 % across facilities. Regardless of other reasons for testing, only 107 (2.5 %) of all participants reported testing after being notified by a health provider or sexual partner. A similar proportion, 1.8 % (79 of 4351), reported partner notification as the only reason for seeking an HIV test. Among 79 clients who reported HIV partner services as the reason for testing, the majority (78.5 %), were notified by their sexual partners. The majority (52.8 %) of HIV-infected patients initiated their HIV testing, and 57.2 % tested in a Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) site co-located in a health facility. Median time for data capture was 4 min (IQR: 3–15), with a longer duration for HIV-infected participants, and there was no reported data loss. Conclusion aPS surveillance using new technologies is feasible, and could be readily expanded into HIV registries in Kenya and other sub-Saharan countries. Partner services are under-utilized in Kenya but further documentation of coverage and implementation gaps for HIV and aPS services is required.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
0301 basic medicine
Internet privacy
HIV Infections
Health Informatics
Computer security
computer.software_genre
Health informatics
Health Information Systems
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Information system
Humans
Medicine
030212 general & internal medicine
Surveillance
Scope (project management)
business.industry
Open data kit
Health Policy
HIV
Information technology
Kenya
030112 virology
3. Good health
Computer Science Applications
Assisted partner services
Sexual Partners
Health information
Data quality
Epidemiological Monitoring
Female
Electronic data
Contact Tracing
business
computer
Contact tracing
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14726947
- Volume :
- 16
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4b1d34db4a1ac260e09c8c82c06dd547
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-016-0337-9