AETC-NMC | Curricula

Point-of-Care Testing Issues

Rapid HIV tests are by no means employed universally at healthcare facilities that offer HIV screening, primarily for 2 reasons:

Rapid HIV tests tend to be more expensive than laboratory-based tests (approximately $10 vs $1).
The staff time and costs required to process point-of-care tests may be considered onerous—eg, resetting controls, monitoring temperatures, and maintaining each patient’s medical records.

Such considerations have led many primary care practices to consider point-of-care tests impractical and to use standard laboratory-based testing. Practices that rely on laboratory-based HIV testing but aim to incorporate HIV screening into routine medical care, as recommended by the CDC [Branson 2006], will inevitably have some patients who will not follow up to learn the results of their HIV tests.

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	3. Promoting HIV Testing in Diverse Populations Curricula 1 2 3 4 AETC-NMC Home Curricula Home Glossary Feedback

	About Curriculum 3 Module 1: U.S. HIV Epidemiology Learning Objectives & Pretraining Assessment The HIV Epidemic in the United States The HIV Epidemic, cont. By Risk Group Key Events in the US HIV Epidemic (early 1980s - late 1990s) (2000 - present) African American Populations Hispanic/Latino Populations MSM Populations Asian and Pacific Islander Populations American Indian/Native Alaska Populations Summary References Assessment Questions Module 2: Recommendations for Routine HIV Testing Learning Objectives & Pretraining Assessment Development of HIV Screening Recommendations Rationale Underlying the 2006 Recommendations Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing Summary References Assessment Questions Module 3: Benefits of Early Testing and Risks of Delayed Testing Learning Objectives & Pretraining Assessment Timing of Initiation of HAART Guidelines on Starting Antiretroviral Therapy Benefits Associated With Early Therapy Initiation Diagnosis in the ED Risks of Delayed HIV Diagnosis and Treatment Summary References Assessment Questions Module 4: Barriers to Testing and Strategies to Improve Rates of Routine HIV Testing Learning Objectives & Pretraining Assessment Discovering Barriers to Wider Use of HIV Screening Provider-Related Barriers Impact of State and Local Laws and Regulations Population-Specific Barriers Factors That Impede HIV Testing Among Latinos Factors That Impede HIV Testing Among American Indians/Alaska Natives Factors That Impede HIV Testing Among Asian/Pacific Islanders Strategies to Improve Routine HIV Testing Working With Community Organizations Summary References Assessment Questions Module 5: HIV Testing Technologies Learning Objectives & Pretraining Assessment Point-of-Care Testing vs Laboratory-Based Testing Confirmatory Tests Availability of Results Point-of-Care Testing Issues Key Resources for Understanding and Employing HIV Testing Technologies Summary References Assessment Questions Case Studies Suggested Activities	Point-of-Care Testing Issues Rapid HIV tests are by no means employed universally at healthcare facilities that offer HIV screening, primarily for 2 reasons: Rapid HIV tests tend to be more expensive than laboratory-based tests (approximately $10 vs $1). The staff time and costs required to process point-of-care tests may be considered onerous—eg, resetting controls, monitoring temperatures, and maintaining each patient’s medical records. Such considerations have led many primary care practices to consider point-of-care tests impractical and to use standard laboratory-based testing. Practices that rely on laboratory-based HIV testing but aim to incorporate HIV screening into routine medical care, as recommended by the CDC [Branson 2006], will inevitably have some patients who will not follow up to learn the results of their HIV tests. « BACK NEXT »
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3. Promoting HIV Testing in Diverse Populations

Point-of-Care Testing Issues