An Effective Alternative to the Standard Referral System for HIV Testing in the ED

ED-based HIV counseling and testing (C&T) is in its early stages of development. Most urban ED patients requesting or requiring HIV testing are referred to C&T sites that are usually available only during regular business hours. Patient compliance with these referrals has been disappointing.

To improve ED access to HIV testing, we developed a video alternative to in-person pre-test counseling to provide the fundamental elements of the counseling. The video was based on the educational elements required by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) for HIV pre-test counseling. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the educational video performed as well as live counselors in conveying the information needed for inner city ED patients to consent to HIV testing. The present study was designed to compare HIV testing rates in ED patients offered video-assisted informed consent for HIV testing versus the standard referral for live C&T the next business day.