Evaluation of online partner notification services like inspot requires starting with the client, not the clinic

摘要

Two recent publications in Sexually Transmitted Diseases have evaluated uptake of the Web-based partner notification (PN) service inSPOT. Rietmeijer et al describe low awareness (6%) and usage (2%/l% had sent/ received an e-card) of inSPOT among 481 clients sampled from a predominantly heterosexual STD clinic population exposed to various promotional messages during the course of 6 months.1 Kerani et al randomized 75 men who have sex with men diagnosed with gonorrhea or chlamydia to one of 4 study arms—traditional PN, inSPOT, PDPT (patient-delivered partner therapy), or in-SPOT/PDPT combined—and found that only 1 of the 27 clients assigned to an inSPOT arm used the service.2 Authors of both studies conclude that few clients are interested in inSPOT and thus caution against its use as a PN tool.