Routine HIV screening in general practice boosts testing and early diagnosis

Offering HIV screening to new patients in general practice on a routine basis increases testing rates and improves detection and earlier diagnosis, according to research co-led by UCL and Queen Mary University of London. HIV testing rates in general practice are low, despite testing being recommended in UK and international guidelines. Lack of testing leads to later HIV diagnosis, poorer clinical outcomes and higher care and treatment costs. It can also increase the chances of an individual passing on the virus. A paper published in  EClinicalMedicine  examines the impact of implementing HIV screening using one-off training for staff, reflecting 'real-world' conditions in 13 east London GP practices. It compares outcomes with those recorded in the same team's earlier randomised control trial in which staff from 20 practices received initial training plus regular support. The initial trial, which ran between 2010 and 2012, found the approach increased both the number of HIV tests and the number of diagnoses.