To evaluate the implementation of opt-out blood-borne virus (BBV) testing in emergency departments (EDs) by investigating staff views and experiences, as well as identifying facilitators and barriers to implementation.
Approach:
Study Design: Qualitative design using semi-structured remote interviews with 23 staff members involved in the delivery of opt-out BBV testing.
Participants and Recruitment: Staff were recruited from five ED sites in areas with very high HIV prevalence, focusing on patient-facing roles such as healthcare assistants and nurses.
Key Findings:
Staff acceptability of opt-out BBV testing is generally high.
Barriers to wider test coverage include staff not offering the test rather than patients opting out.
Healthcare workers' assumptions and biases may affect the equitable offering of BBV testing.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study focused on a limited number of ED sites, which may not represent all settings.
Interviews were conducted remotely, which may affect the depth of responses.
by Siobhán Allison, Tom May, Jonathan Roberts, Rachel Hill-Tout, Stephen Hindle, Matthew Hickman, Lucy Yardley, Rachel Todd, Robyn Heath, Jeremy Horwood
