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Evaluation of a Hospital Admission HIV Antibody Voluntary Screening Program

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Richard L. Harris ,
Eugene V. Boisaubin ,
Pamela D. Salyer  and
Denise F. Semands
Richard L. Harris*
Affiliation:
The Methodist Hospital, Department of Medicine, Sections of Infectious Disease, Houston, Texas Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Eugene V. Boisaubin
Affiliation:
General Internal Medicine, Houston, Texas Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Pamela D. Salyer
Affiliation:
Information Services, Houston, Texas
Denise F. Semands
Affiliation:
Patient Services, Houston, Texas
*
The Methodist Hospital, MS910, 6565 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030
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Abstract

Voluntary screening for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is recommended by the healthcare profession. The optimal settings to accomplish screening have not been established. We evaluated an admission HIV screening program in a large private hospital to assess advantages and disadvantages in this setting. In a three-month study period, 4,535 of 8,868 patients (51%) admitted to the hospital agreed to HIV testing. Serum specimens from 500 patients who refused testing were blindly, anonymously tested. The seroprevalence of the patients agreeing to (0.26%) and refusing (0.60%) testing was not statistically different (p = .12). There were 12 HIV cases discovered; ten (83%) of these were known to be in a high-risk group at the time of admission. Eighty-five percent of patients interviewed were in favor of this screening program. Difficulties associated with confidentiality or consent were not evident. Calculated charges of testing for each HIV case discovery was $14,550. There was no evidence that this screening program provided for a more effective infection control policy to prevent nosocomial HIV transmission. A hospital admission HIV screening program can be implemented can meet with favorable patient opinion and can detect previously unknown HIV-positive patients. Hospitals are an efficient and practical setting for HIV testing. The benefit of this program appears to be greater for the patient than hospital or healthcare worker. Cost-benefit analyses will identify optimal candidates to be screened in different hospital populations.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 11 , Issue 12 , December 1990 , pp. 628 - 634
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1990

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