Abstract
1. Objectives: Dutch surveillance data show a decrease in the number of STI/HIV tests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (Staritsky et al., 2021). However, the impact of the pandemic on both demand and provision of testing and care may be complex, and various risk groups could be differentially affected. In
this study, we investigated whether professionals experienced changes in demand and provision of care, a shift to hybrid or online care, and consequences for the quality of care, since the first lockdown.
2. Method: 192 Professionals from general practices, sexual health centers of the public health service, HIV specialists, and other professionals involved in STI/HIV care completed a survey. In-depth interviews were held with 23 healthcare professionals (including professionals from private testing companies).
3. Results: Access to STI/HIV care was lower and workload was higher since the start of the pandemic, especially during lockdowns. These findings were more pronounced in PH services than in GP practices. The lower testing rate was attributed to both lowered access to care (stricter triage, implicit messages of
‘not burdening care’, a temporary stop of outreach programs), and potentially lower demand for testing because of lower STI/HIV risk in lockdowns. Private testing companies generally saw an increase in testing rates since the pandemic started. Many professionals felt that mostly young, internet-savvy and higher SES
people would have made the transition to online (private) STI/HIV testing, but that people with lower health literacy, lower digital skills, and lower SES might not have made this transition. However, professionals felt that testing behaviour of typical risk groups like MSM or sex workers was not necessarily affected by covid
measures, since healthcare for these groups was not scaled down as much and many people in these groups knew where to get tested. Furthermore, a general observation was that hybridization of care was not up to standards and that most organizations struggled with technical issues. Lastly, professionals were
skeptical with regard to standards of care after a positive test, in hybrid/online forms of care.
4. Conclusions: Low access to care during the covid pandemic may be less related to risk behaviour per se (e.g., MSM, sex work) but more related to other vulnerability factors like lower health literacy. Since there is a growing demand for online testing, and it is unlikely that this trend will decline, professionals would like to see that standards of follow-up care after online testing are high and uniform.
this study, we investigated whether professionals experienced changes in demand and provision of care, a shift to hybrid or online care, and consequences for the quality of care, since the first lockdown.
2. Method: 192 Professionals from general practices, sexual health centers of the public health service, HIV specialists, and other professionals involved in STI/HIV care completed a survey. In-depth interviews were held with 23 healthcare professionals (including professionals from private testing companies).
3. Results: Access to STI/HIV care was lower and workload was higher since the start of the pandemic, especially during lockdowns. These findings were more pronounced in PH services than in GP practices. The lower testing rate was attributed to both lowered access to care (stricter triage, implicit messages of
‘not burdening care’, a temporary stop of outreach programs), and potentially lower demand for testing because of lower STI/HIV risk in lockdowns. Private testing companies generally saw an increase in testing rates since the pandemic started. Many professionals felt that mostly young, internet-savvy and higher SES
people would have made the transition to online (private) STI/HIV testing, but that people with lower health literacy, lower digital skills, and lower SES might not have made this transition. However, professionals felt that testing behaviour of typical risk groups like MSM or sex workers was not necessarily affected by covid
measures, since healthcare for these groups was not scaled down as much and many people in these groups knew where to get tested. Furthermore, a general observation was that hybridization of care was not up to standards and that most organizations struggled with technical issues. Lastly, professionals were
skeptical with regard to standards of care after a positive test, in hybrid/online forms of care.
4. Conclusions: Low access to care during the covid pandemic may be less related to risk behaviour per se (e.g., MSM, sex work) but more related to other vulnerability factors like lower health literacy. Since there is a growing demand for online testing, and it is unlikely that this trend will decline, professionals would like to see that standards of follow-up care after online testing are high and uniform.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 179-180 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - May 2022 |
| Event | 16th ESC congress of the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health: Challenging times, are we ready? Novel approaches to sexual and reproductive health. - Ghent, Belgium Duration: 25 May 2022 → 28 May 2022 Conference number: 16 |
Conference
| Conference | 16th ESC congress of the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health: Challenging times, are we ready? Novel approaches to sexual and reproductive health. |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ESC congress |
| Country/Territory | Belgium |
| City | Ghent |
| Period | 25/05/22 → 28/05/22 |
