1. Partner notification interviews: can they be done by telephone for patients diagnosed in the community? Gill Bell Nurse Consultant Sexual Health Adviser Sheffield

2. Background PN interviews traditionally face to face with a sexual health adviser in GUM Increased STI screening outside GUM High cost of trained interviewers in all testing sites Telephone management feasible?

3. Potential problems More difficult to engage / negotiate over the phone Time constraints Lack of privacy No body language

4. Method Comparison of outcomes of PN for chlamydia: 1. Chlamydia Screening Programme positives Sept 2004 –May 2005 first interviewed by telephone 2. GUM cases chlamydia < 25s Number / gender matched September 2004 – March 2005 first interviewed face to face.

5. Results CSP Sept 04 – May 05 GUM Sept o4 – March 05 BASHH National standard (Provincial) Number verified screened contacts per case 0.82 231/281 0.85 240/281 0.6

6. Results CSP Sept 04 – May 05 GUM Sept 04 – March 05 Number new positives traced per case 89/281 0.32 84/281 0.30

7. Results CSP Sept 04 – May 05 GUM Sept 04- March 05 Number of index patients interviewed to identify new case 277/89 3.1 273/84 3.3

8. Conclusion Telephone PN can be as effective as face to face interviews Reproducible with other interviewers? Sustainable over time? Patient perspective? Adequate for health promotion / patient support?