Authors: National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO), National Networks of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Publication Year: August 2025

Keywords: Health Care Access, HIV/AIDS, Infection Prevention Control, STI/STD, toolkit, Syphilis, infection, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis

Abstract: 
Point-of-care testing is when a test is performed at or near the patient’s point of care in a clinical facility or other site of patient care and the results are available before the patient leaves. Point-of-care tests (POCTs) usually produce results in under one hour, with some tests showing results in as little as 10-15 minutes. The faster results may allow treatment, or other next steps in the patient’s care, while the patient is still at their initial visit or interaction. They also allow healthcare providers to make more informed decisions by basing the treatment plan on the specific pathogen detected rather than on clinical suspicion alone. While POCTs are beneficial in many circumstances, not every setting, staffing, or patient population is ideal for POCT use. This toolkit can support decision-making on the use of POCTs for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), by local health departments, clinic managers, and other care providers.

File Download:

Source: Link to Original Article.

Type of Resource: toolkit