BACKGROUND People who inject drugs are at the greatest risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus infection in many high-income countries, including those in Europe. Our review examined the effectiveness of interventions aimed at increasing hepatitis C virus testing uptake. METHODS We undertook a systematic review of controlled studies. Searches of 13 databases were supplemented with citation search...

OBJECTIVES To provide nationally representative data on trends in HIV testing in primary care and to estimate the proportion of diagnosed HIV positive individuals known to general practitioners (GPs). METHODS We undertook a retrospective cohort study between 1995 and 2005 of all general practices contributing data to the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD), and data on persons access...

The impact of predictive genetic testing on cancer care can be measured by the increased demand for and utilization of genetic services as well as in the progress made in reducing cancer risks in known mutation carriers. Nonetheless, differential access to and utilization of genetic counseling and cancer predisposition testing among underserved racial and ethnic minorities compared with the whi...

HIV testing policies and practices vary widely across Europe. It is clear that there are individuals who might present late for HIV diagnosis and care within all risk groups, and potentially in any healthcare setting. This article explores the need to ensure earlier identification and treatment of late-presenting patients by reviewing strategies that might be considered. Such strategies could i...

INTRODUCTION Family medicine and internal medicine physicians order diagnostic laboratory tests for nearly one-third of patient encounters in an average week, yet among medical errors in primary care, an estimated 15% to 54% are attributed to laboratory testing processes. From a practice improvement perspective, we (1) describe the need for laboratory testing process quality improvements from t...

OBJECTIVES Offering antenatal sickle cell and thalassaemia (SCT) screening early in pregnancy can maximize the range of post-screening choices available, however these benefits should not be obtained at the expense of informed choice.  This study examined whether offering this screening in primary care at the time of pregnancy confirmation compromises women making informed choices. Design Parti...

BACKGROUND The 2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised recommendations for HIV testing in clinical settings contained seven specific changes to how health care facilities should provide HIV testing. These seven elements have been both supported and challenged in the lay and medical literature. Our first paper in BMC Medical Ethics presented an analysis of the three HIV tes...

BACKGROUND Chest pain is a common presenting complaint in general practice. Serum troponin testing is an important clinical tool to help identify patients who present with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). OBJECTIVE This article will discuss the role of troponin testing in the diagnosis of ACS, and the role of high-sensitive troponin, which is now in widespread use. The importance of c...

INTRODUCTION HIV testing is the portal to serostatus knowledge that can empower linkage to care for HIV treatment and HIV prevention. However, young people's access to HIV testing is uneven worldwide. The objective of this paper is to review the context and concerns faced by youth around HIV testing in low- as well as high-income country settings. DISCUSSION HIV testing is a critical entry po...