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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 4(4)

General practice intervention to increase opportunistic screening for chlamydia

Tony D. Merritt A C , David N. Durrheim A , Kirsty Hope A B and Paul Byron A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.

B National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: tony.merritt@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

Sexual Health 4(4) 249-251 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH07033
Submitted: 11 May 2007  Accepted: 27 September 2007   Published: 8 November 2007

Abstract

We describe an 18-month intervention that was designed to improve opportunistic screening for chlamydia in General Practice. Key strategies included engaging and informing general practitioners, adopting a simplified screening protocol, providing feedback on practice testing performance and developing resources for use with patients. This uncontrolled before and after study found that the overall impact on testing was modest and largely transient, and was insufficient to impact on the current chlamydia epidemic. Major additional measures would be required to further substantially increase testing levels. These could include financial incentives linked to screening performance and increased community awareness to increase patient demand for testing.


Acknowledgements

We thank the Hunter Urban Division of General Practice for their support of innovative strategies in General Practice, promotion of this initiative and provision of meeting space. We also acknowledge the generous support provided by local pathology companies in providing chlamydia testing data to practices.


References


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