Residents, here are some research opportunities for you to get involved in that are currently taking place. Please contact Mark Sochor the Research Director or Lea Becker Research Coordinator if you have any questions.

HIV Screening

Kathryn Dort and Allison Bruff plan to again offer selected ED patients screening for HIV this summer. Allison is also doing a survey of ED care providers (IRB approved) regarding barriers to HIV testing in the ED.  The survey is brief, optional, and completion will be good for a Higher Grounds gift card.  Again, patient flow and workflow should not be effected by this survey.  Let me know if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions.   

The pilot has been limited to the Express Care area a few hours a week. An ED guideline has been written to guide the continuation of the pilot in an expanded format to capture more ED patients. See the guideline below. (H-3)

Important things to remember:

        1. All testing is voluntary for the patients

        2. Only patients in the ED will be tested. Family/Significant others will be referred to the Health Department

        3. Any positive results will be discussed with the patient by Kathryn Dort, NP who will arrange follow up.

        4. At no time will HIV testing interfere with the ED patient care.

        5. ED staff will only be asked to draw a specimen from a patient who has a positive rapid test.

Purpose: To outline the process for offering Rapid HIV testing in the UVa Emergency Department.

Supportive data: It is estimated that as many as 25% of people infected with HIV do not know they are infected. The average age of persons utilizing the ED is 14-44 years old, the population most likely to be unknowingly infected with the HIV virus. In Virginia there is a high rate of individuals whose disease has progressed to AIDS by the time they are first diagnosed. Studies have shown that persons diagnosed with HIV have made 2 or more ED visits in the year prior to the diagnosis.

Guidelines:

1. Testing of UVa Emergency Department patients will be coordinated by the NP from the Ryan White Clinic and provide at no cost to the patients.

2.  Testing will be performed by the clinic NP or her designee.

3.  All personnel performing the testing will be credentialed to provide patient care within the UVa Health System

4.  The HIV test personnel will ask patients if they are interested in receiving a free Clear View HIV test with waived consent. Results will be available in 15 minutes.

5.  Results of the test will be documented as an incidental encounter clinic note.

6.  The results of the screening and confirmation tests will be provided by K Dort, NP or her designee and her contact information provided for follow up and/or questions.

7. Any patients with a preliminary positive test result will be referred to the Ryan White Clinic for further follow up.

8. ED nursing staff will draw a specimen from any patients testing positive so more definitive lab studies through the Health Department can be completed prior to the clinic appointment. The specimen will be placed in a red top tube, labeled and held in the “blue bin” in the lab refrigerator. K. Dort, NP will pick up the specimen and transport to the Health Department.

9.   At no time will Rapid HIV testing interfere with the patient’s Emergency Department care.

10. K. Dort, NP (pic 3738) will be paged for all preliminary positive results to discuss the results with the patient.

11. Only Emergency Department patients will be tested. Any family members/significant others requesting testing will be referred to the Health Department for testing.