Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Disease intervention specialists DIS are critical for delivering partner services programs that provide partner notification, counseling, referral, and other services for HIV, sexually transmitted infections STIs , and other infections.
This systematic review of partner services and other DIS-delivered interventions for HIV and STIs was conducted to summarize the effectiveness of these programs and identify evidence gaps. A systematic literature review was conducted with a narrative synthesis. Included studies addressed an intervention of partner services or other DIS-delivered services for HIV or STIs; a United States setting; primary data collection; and an external comparison group or pre-post design.
A total of 1, unique records were screened for eligibility, with 30 studies included. Overall, DIS-delivered interventions improved clinical outcomes among index patients and population outcomes. Many studies focused on program process measures rather than population-level epidemiologic outcomes. All but one studies were scored as having low or medium strength of evidence. The evidence could be strengthened by establishing a streamlined set of core metrics, assessing impact using rigorous causal inference methodologies, linking program and clinical data systems, and supplementing impact evaluations with evidence on implementation strategies.
Disease intervention specialists DIS deliver partner services programs encompassing a wide range of activities for HIV and sexually transmitted infections STIs including field testing and treatment, expedited partner therapy, case treatment follow-up, partner notification, counseling, and referral services. An updated systematic review is warranted considering evolutions in partner services, the DIS workforce, syndemic approaches, and epidemiological characteristics that influence outcomes such as test positivity among partners.
This review addressed the following questions: What is the program impact of partner services and other DIS-delivered interventions for HIV and STIs on clinical and epidemiological outcomes among index patients and their partners in the U. How do outcomes vary across infections? What are the critical evidence gaps? For consistency with impact evaluations employing experimental or non-experimental designs such as pre-post or post-test comparisons between groups to assess program effectiveness, 12 , 13 this review considered comparisons to no intervention, alternative interventions not delivered by DIS, or different modes of delivery.
