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Treatment and partner notification outcomes for clients diagnosed with chlamydia and gonorrhea through GetCheckedOnline compared to sexually transmitted infection clinics in British Columbia, Canada

Sex Transm Dis. 2022 Nov 11. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001735. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Whether treatment, engagement in partner notification (PN), and PN outcomes differ between clients of internet-based and clinic-based testing services is poorly understood. We compared these outcomes between people diagnosed with chlamydia and/or gonorrhea (CT/GC) through a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic service and GetCheckedOnline GCO), an internet based testing service in British Columbia (BC).

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study among CT/GC cases where each case diagnosed through GCO in 2016-2017 was matched to two STI clinic cases by diagnosis, gender, age group, and specimen collection date. Data was collected through chart review with outcomes compared using appropriate statistical tests.

RESULTS: Of 257 GCO and 514 matched clinic cases, case treatment was high and did not differ between GCO (254/257, 98.9%) and clinic (513/514, 99.8%) cases, as was engagement in partner notification (250/257 (97.2%) vs. 496/514 (96.5%)). There was no difference in the proportion of notified partners between GCO (159/270, 58.9%) and clinic cases (253/435, 58.2%) although a greater proportion of partners reported by clinic cases were notified by STI nurses (43/435, 9.9%) vs. GCO cases (6/270, 2.2%).

CONCLUSIONS: GCO clients diagnosed with CT/GC demonstrated similar treatment uptake and engagement in PN to clinic clients, and PN outcomes did not differ. The greater reliance on STI clinic nurses for partner notification among clinic clients may be related to having had an initial in-person testing visit.

PMID:36367543 | DOI:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001735

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