The End of Written Informed Consent for HIV Testing: Not With a Bang but a Whimper

National HIV and HCV Screening Rates for Hospitalized People who Use Drugs Are Suboptimal and Heterogeneous Across 11 US Hospitals

Background

To end the HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemics, people who use drugs (PWUD) need more opportunities for testing. While inpatient hospitalizations are an essential opportunity to test people who use drugs (PWUD) for HIV and HCV, there is limited research on rates of inpatient testing for HIV and HCV among PWUD.

Methods

Eleven hospital sites were included in the study. Each site created a cohort of inpatient encounters associated with injection drug use. From these cohorts, we collected data on HCV and HIV testing rates and HIV testing consent policies from 65 276 PWUD hospitalizations.

Results

Hospitals had average screening rates of 40% for HIV and 32% for HCV, with widespread heterogeneity in screening rates across facilities. State consent laws and opt-out testing policies were not associated with statistically significant differences in HIV screening rates. On average, hospitals that reflexed HCV viral load testing on HCV antibody testing did not have statistically significant differences in HCV viral load testing rates. We found suboptimal testing rates during inpatient encounters for PWUD. As treatment (HIV) and cure (HCV) are necessary to end these epidemics, we need to prioritize understanding and overcoming barriers to testing.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HIV Testing in People Who Use Drugs Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital

Ending the HIV epidemic requires increased testing, diagnosis, and linkage to care. In the past 10 years, rates of HIV have increased among people with substance use disorder (SUD). HIV testing is recommended during hospitalization. Despite rising rates of infections and recommendations, HIV testing remains suboptimal. This study sought to detect differences in HIV testing by race and ethnicity in people who use drugs (PWUD) admitted to Tufts Medical Center (TuftsMC). This study is a retrospective review of hospitalized PWUD admitted from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020. PWUD were identified through toxicology results, medication prescribed for SUD, and nursing intake questions. The primary outcome of interest was whether an HIV test was ordered during hospitalization. The indicator of interest was race and ethnicity. Of 13,486 PWUD admitted to TuftsMC, only 10% had an HIV test ordered. Compared with White patients, Black patients [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.59-0.83)] and Hispanic patients [AOR: 0.68, 95% CI (0.55-0.84)] had decreased odds of receiving an HIV test. Our report is the first to show racial and ethnic differences in HIV testing ordering for hospitalized PWUD. Without access to harm reduction tools and expanded systems-based testing strategies, the HIV epidemic will continue and disproportionately impact minoritized communities.

Informed consent for HIV screening in the emergency departments and human rights in patient care: seeking the right balance

HIV exceptionalism refers to the fact that the illness is so different from other diseases that testing needs a special approach to informed consent. HIV infected people often visit health clinics, especially emergency departments, years before receiving a diagnosis without being tested for HIV. There is considerable public interest in increasing HIV testing in emergency departments. However, because these departments are sensitive environments that primarily provide urgent and emergency care, a number of ethical questions have been raised about the appropriateness of these settings for the implementation of universal screening programs. Human rights in patient care therefore constitutes an essential theoretical framework for analyzing ethical and legal dilemmas that arise in clinical encounters, thus strengthening the application of human rights principles to the context of patient care.

Informed consent for HIV screening in the emergency departments and human rights in patient care: seeking the right balance

Abstract HIV exceptionalism refers to the fact that the illness is so different from other diseases that testing needs a special approach to informed consent. HIV infected people often visit health clinics, especially emergency departments, years before receiving a diagnosis without being tested for HIV. There is considerable public interest in increasing HIV testing in emergency departments. However, because these departments are sensitive environments that primarily provide urgent and emergency care, a number of ethical questions have been raised about the appropriateness of these settings for the implementation of universal screening programs. Human rights in patient care therefore constitutes an essential theoretical framework for analyzing ethical and legal dilemmas that arise in clinical encounters, thus strengthening the application of human rights principles to the context of patient care.

Reducing False-Positive Results With Fourth-Generation HIV Testing at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Background

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines advocating routine HIV screening for all patients. However, false-positive results are a potential patient care threat for low-risk populations even with accurate screening assays. A reduction in HIV false-positive screening results can potentially be seen by switching from the third-generation to a more sensitive and specific fourth-generation screening assay.

Methods

We studied the impact on the false-positive screening rate of a change to a fourth-generation assay at a regional US Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center. HIV screening tests performed by the laboratory from March 1, 2016 to February 28, 2017, prior to implementation of the new assay were compared with fourth-generation HIV screening tests performed from March 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018.

Results

Of 7,516 third-generation HIV screening tests reviewed, 52 were reactive on the screening assay; 24 were true positives, 28 were false positives. The following year 7,802 fourth-generation HIV screening tests were performed and 23 were reactive on the screening assay; 16 were true positives and 7 were false positives. The positive predictive value for the third-generation test was 46% and 70% for the fourth-generation test.

Conclusions

There were fewer false-positive results with testing with the more specific fourth- vs third-generation assay (0.09% vs 0.37%, respectively), which was statistically significant (P = .002). This reduction in false-positive screening would reduce the laboratory workload and would save an estimated $3,875 yearly and reduce the adverse effects of false-positive screening results for patients.

2021 European guideline on HIV testing in genito-urinary medicine settings

Testing for HIV is critical for early diagnosis of HIV infection, providing long-term good health for the individual and prevention of onward transmission if antiretroviral treatment is initiated early. The main purpose of the 2021 European Guideline on HIV Testing in Genito-Urinary Settings is to provide advice on testing for HIV infection in individuals aged 16 years and older who present to sexually transmitted infection, genito-urinary or dermato-venereology clinics across Europe. The guideline presents the details of best practice and offers practical guidance to clinicians and laboratories to identify and offer HIV testing to appropriate patient groups.

Comparing Routine HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Screening to Estimate the Effect of Required Consent on HIV Screening Rates Among Hospitalized Patients

OBJECTIVES

Routine screening for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among specified age cohorts is recommended. New York State requires consent before screening for HIV but not HCV. We sought to estimate the effect of the consent requirement on screening rates for HIV.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of patients hospitalized in 2015-2016 at a tertiary care hospital in the Bronx, New York, during a period when prompts in the electronic health record facilitated screening for HIV and HCV among specified age cohorts. We compared proportions of patients eligible for screening for HIV and/or HCV who underwent screening and used generalized estimating equations and a meta-analytic weighted average to estimate an adjusted risk difference between undergoing HIV screening and undergoing HCV screening.

RESULTS

Among 11 938 hospitalized patients eligible for HIV and/or HCV screening, 38.5% underwent screening for HIV and 59.1% underwent screening for HCV. The difference in screening rates persisted after adjusting for patient and admission characteristics (adjusted risk difference = 22.0%; 95% CI, 20.6%-23.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Whereas the requirement for consent was the only difference in the processes of screening for HIV compared with screening for HCV, differences in how the 2 viruses are perceived may also have contributed to the difference in screening rates. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that requiring consent continues to impede progress toward the public health goal of routine HIV screening.

State Trends in HIV Testing Among US Adults Aged 18-64 Years, 2011-2017

OBJECTIVES

HIV testing identifies persons living with HIV and can lead to treatment, decreased risk behaviors, and reduced transmission. The objective of our study was to describe state-level trends in HIV testing in the general US adult population aged 18-64 years, for both ever tested for HIV and tested for HIV in the previous 12 months.

METHODS

Using 2011-2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, we estimated the percentage of the state population, plus the District of Columbia, aged 18-64 years ever tested for HIV and tested for HIV in the previous 12 months. The 50 states and the District of Columbia were grouped according to the estimated prevalence of HIV in 2011. We used orthogonal contrasts to calculate P values for linear trends.

RESULTS

The percentage of the population ever tested for HIV increased significantly in 23 states during 2011-2017, whereas the percentage tested for HIV in the previous 12 months increased significantly in 8 states. In 2017, the mean percentage ever tested for HIV in states with a high prevalence of HIV was 8.6 percentage points higher than the mean percentage in states with a low prevalence of HIV (48.5% vs 39.9%); the mean increase in the percentage ever tested was highest (11.4%) in states with a low prevalence of HIV.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced efforts by states to make HIV testing simple, accessible, and routine are needed to reduce the number of persons who are not aware of their infection.

Trends in HIV Testing Among US Adults, Aged 18-64 Years, 2011-2017

In 2006, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended HIV screening in healthcare or clinical settings for all persons aged 13-64 years and annual rescreening for populations at high risk for HIV. We used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to describe the prevalence and trends of ever tested for HIV and tested for HIV in the past 12 months among US adults. The percentage of ever tested increased from 42.9% in 2011 to 45.9% in 2017; testing in the past 12 months increased from 13.2% in 2011 to 14.8% in 2017. Despite these increases, less than half of US adults have ever been tested for HIV over ten years after CDC's recommendations. Increasing the prevalence of routine HIV screening and rescreening among individuals at high risk will reduce the number of undiagnosed persons with HIV infection and thus prevent new HIV infections-a key strategy in the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.