The pros and cons of the express visit option

摘要

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) programs are under duress. Health departments are laying off disease intervention specialists, the very core of their STD prevention efforts, and STD clinics are closing. Meanwhile, surviving clinics are looking to cut costs, raise revenue, and streamline operations, In this context, it is reasonable to question whether all patients presenting to an STD clinic should undergo a full physical evaluation or whether clinic efficiencies could be achieved by offering different levels of service dependent on the risks or symptoms of the patient. Such an approach has been made possible by the availability of nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) that allowed for noninvasive testing for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis and thus removed the need for a full physical examination.