Surveillance of HIV testing: where should we go next? (original) (raw)

positivity rates in other healthcare services, such as general practices and prison clinics. Sentinel surveillance of HIV testing in multiple laboratories would also provide the opportunity to assess local and national trends in testing over time, both overall and in specific service types. Locally, such data may be used to investigate patterns of service use by different demographic groups and to evaluate changes in testing in response to local initiatives, such as awareness campaigns or new guidelines for healthcare professionals. We conclude that sentinel laboratory surveillance of HIV testing should be prioritised in order to monitor and improve our understanding of patterns of HIV testing in the UK and to inform local and national policy. Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the contribution of the laboratory staff and clinicians of the Leeds and Bradford Pathology Partnership, who carried out testing and provided data. We would also like to thank Darren Lyons for his work on data extraction and processing, and Brian Rice for his assistance with the HIV new diagnoses database. Funding The resources for this pilot study were drawn from existing staffing and funds provided by the English Department of Health. The funding body did not have any involvement in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.