News & Media > Launch of HIV Partner Notification Standards Document

Launch of HIV Partner Notification Standards Document

HIV partner notification for adults: definitions, outcomes and standards Tuesday 1 December 2015

Dear all,

BHIVA/BASHH/SSHA/NAT HIV Partner Notification for Adults: Definitions, Outcomes and Standards

The 2013 joint national audit between BHIVA and BASHH into HIV partner notification outcomes (HIV PN) demonstrated the power of HIV PN as a tool to diagnose people living with HIV. Overall, 21% of sampled contacts tested for HIV via HIV PN processes were themselves newly diagnosed with HIV infection (see: http://www.bhiva.org/documents/ClinicalAudit/FindingsandReports/PNsummaryResultsWeb.pptx)

However, there was variation in practice across the UK, with non-completion of PN representing a missed opportunity for HIV diagnosis. There was also great inconsistency in, and variability in the interpretation of, terms and outcomes to measure HIV PN specifically.

This document is the product of a working group assembled to define new clinically relevant and easy to use outcomes to measure HIV PN performance. The guidance has been developed by clinical, public health and third sector experts for use by multiprofessional clinicians, services and commissioners to monitor performance against agreed standards, with the overall aim of improving the delivery of HIV PN nationally, thereby increasing diagnoses of HIV and impacting on both individual and public health. The measures and standards were informed by pilot studies undertaken in a number of clinics across the UK. This document defines relevant outcomes and proposes standards for HIV PN, specifically. It does not describe the processes nor best clinical practice for PN generally; these are to be found in the BASHH Statement on Partner Notification for Sexually Transmissible Infections and the SSHA Manual for Sexual Health Advisers (see: http://www.bashh.org/documents/4445.pdf and http://www.bashh.org/documents/SSHA_National_Competency_Framework_Final_Jan13.pdf).

We encourage you to review the document and to pilot measurement and collection of the auditable outcome measures. An online data analysis tool is in development, and will be hosted on the BASHH website.

With very best wishes,

AK Sullivan, M Rayment, Y Azad, G Bell, H McClean, V Delpech, J Cassell, H Curtis, M Murchie, and C Estcourt