(New) registration system of partner notification for sexually transmitted infections. Usable for nurses, doktors and index patients?

Abstract

Title: (New) registration system of partner notification for sexually transmitted infections. Usable for nurses, doctors and index patients? Background: Since1985, partner notification (PN) is an essential method in the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Netherlands. It is the aim of PN to timely screen and treats STIs in order to prevent transmission. The RIVM and Erasmus MC developed a PN registration system for clients with HIV. This system to gain answers on the following five essential questions. These questions are: how many partners does the index patient have? How many partners need to be notified? Are the partners notified? Did they get a STI test and were they infected by the index patient? Aim: To determine whether the PN registration system is a usable instrument for clients with gonorrhea, syphilis and Chlamydia. Method: A descriptive quantitative longiditudinal cohort study in 26 professionals and 117 index patients from STI clinics of Municipal Health Services. Data were collected through a questionnaire, specifically developed for this study. Results: The response of the professionals was 58% (n=15) and the index patients 64% (n=75). It is remarkable that only index patients diagnosed with Chlamydia 95% (n=71) or gonorrhea 5% (n=4) were included in this research. The usabilityfor the PN appears for 60% professionals to get an overview of the partners from the index patient and 67% if the partners are warned. In order to identify whether the partners were tested were for 73% (n=11) professionals the PN not workable. For 60% (n = 9) professionals, the PN does not usable to identify the diagnosis of the partners and if infection has occurred. The index patients 100% (n=75) deem it important that the professionals discus with them PN, but they feel it as them own responsibility. Conclusion: The PN system is an usable instrument to gain answer on two out of the five essential questions. These results may contribute to the development of a usable PN registration system for gonorrhea, syphilis and Chlamydia.