International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 7 > Pp. 433-436

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Original research articles

Patient-delivered partner therapy in the UK: what do patients think?

Sivapatham Shivasankar MRCP , Rachel Challenor FRCP Edin and Ratna Ekanayaka MBBS

Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK

Correspondence to: Dr Sivapatham Shivasankar Email: Sivapatham.Shivasankar{at}phnt.swest.nhs.uk

The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of genitourinary (GU) medicine patients attending a mixed urban/rural clinic who would welcome patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) as a partner management option. Five hundred patients completed the questionnaire. Acceptability of traditional partner referral was 87% (435), partner referral with infection specific guidance was 82% (411) and PDPT was 81% (405). Significantly fewer patients, 71% (354) would find a partner home sampling kit acceptable and provider referral was the least popular option at 23% (117). PDPT is not used in the UK mainly due to concerns of health professionals regarding the legal status of PDPT and the lack of UK evidence. The outcome of the Medical Research Council randomized controlled trial on accelerated partner therapy (which fits in with General Medical Council advice on remote prescribing) is eagerly awaited as professionals would welcome evidence-based guidance and our study suggests that patients are willing to consider this form of partner management as an additional treatment option.

Key Words: patient-delivered partner therapy • PDPT • GU medicine • patients • partner notification

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