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Perceptions and acceptability among healthcare workers on the uptake of molecular point-of-care testing for Trichomonas and enablers and barriers. |
Status
Underway
Year
2021
Named PI/Co-PI
Annie Tangey
Other investigators
L. Lafferty, R. Guy, L. Causer, J. Ward, RL. Huang, TTANGO2 Investigators
Lead EMCR
Annie Tangey
# of EMCRs
3
Regional setting
Remote and regional Australia
Discipline
Social Science
The Problem
Trichomonas vaginalis (trichomonas) is of public health concern because of its association with HIV transmission, adverse birth outcomes and reproductive health. Trichomonas has been described as a neglected infection with varied perceptions of its importance despite associated outcomes. Remote and regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities experience high rates of trichomonas along with chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections, where delays in the return of laboratory test results affect timely management. Trichomonas point-of-care (POC) testing was integrated into routine practice in 2018 alongside chlamydia/gonorrhoea POC testing at remote and regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care clinics participating in the Test Treat ANd GO (TTANGO2) research translation program (2016-2019). Trichomonas POC tests are performed with a separate cartridge from the combined chlamydia/gonorrhoea cartridge. The epidemiology of trichomonas is highly skewed towards women with a broader age range and longer duration of infection than bacterial STIs, potentially influencing health workers’ perceptions and uptake of POC testing. While there is broad acceptability of chlamydia/gonorrhoea POC testing, the acceptability of the additional use of trichomonas POC testing in remote settings is unknown.
The Solution
Related Publications
Scaling up sexually transmissible infections point-of-care testing in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: healthcare workers’ perceptions of the barriers and facilitators.
Implement Sci Commun. 2021
Lafferty L, Smith K, Causer L, Andrewartha K, Whiley D, Badman SG, Donovan B, Anderson L, Tangey A, Mak D, Maher L, Shephard M, Guy R; TTANGO2 Collaboration. More Info.
Acceptability among healthcare workers and clinic managers of molecular point-of-care testing for Trichomonas vaginalis.
Selected for oral presentation at the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Conference, Manly, 2023 and poster presentation at the First Australasian Conference on Point of Care Testing for Infectious Diseases, POC 2023, Sydney 2023.
Tangey A, Causer L, Guy R, Huang R, Ward J, Smith K, Lafferty L.