Search

Objective: To describe the partner notification experiences of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia and to determine what supports might best assist them. Goal: To determine what supports might best assist chlamydia infected individuals to notify their partners. Study Design: A telephone survey was undertaken with men and women recently diagnosed with chlamydia across 3 Australian jurisdictions between August 2007 and January 2008. Results: Of the 286 individuals who agreed to be contacted about the study, 202 (71%) completed the survey. Twenty-three percent (333/ 1458) of recent partners were notified: men who had sex with men (MSM) notified 15% (133/880) of their partners, heterosexual men DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181d012e0

Objective: To examine practices of general practitioners' (GPs) in relation to partner notification for chlamydia and identify the supports they would find most useful to assist them. Goal: To identify innovative resources that could improve partner notification for chlamydia in primary care. Study Design: A postal survey was undertaken that involved GPs from several jurisdictions across Australia between August and December 2007. GPs were randomly selected from a national database. Results: Of 521 eligible GPs, 234 (45%) returned a completed questionnaire. Ninety-five percent (n = 223) felt that it was their role to discuss partner notification with patients diagnosed with chlamydia; however, only 45% (105/232) were sure how best to assist their patients with this. Considerable variation was shown in the way partner notification was undertaken, including how far back in time GPs recommended contacting partners. GPs considered a wide range of possible resources useful, including a website supporting patients (90%), information sheets generated by practice software when chlamydia is diagnosed (90%), printed information packs for patients (85%), a website designed to assist GPs (80%), and referral to these websites via positive laboratory results (85%). Forty-three percent currently undertook patient delivered partner therapy for chlamydia. Conclusion: GPs want and need greater guidance and resources to assist them with partner notification for chlamydia. Resources utilizing the internet and practice software and mechanisms where GPs are automatically directed to these when chlamydia is diagnosed have wide appeal and the potential to improve the effectiveness of partner notification for chlamydia. DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181b357f6

This study evaluated Let Them Know (www.letthemknow. org.au), an online partner notification website offering e-mail and text message notification services to individuals diagnosed with chlamydia. A substantial and increasing number of text messages were sent, pointing to the potential for improved partner notification rates. DOI:10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181d707f1

Several years in the making, medical savings accounts are slowly gaining momentum in the marketplace. But it remains unclear whether the concept will gain broad acceptance. The accounts, commonly known [...]