Estimating the Likely Public Health Impact of Partner Notification for a Clinical Service

An Evidence-Based Algorithm

Bibliographic Data

ID11028437
AuthorsCatherine H Mercer (0000-0002-4220-5034, Catherine H. Mercer, Catherine R. H. Aicken, and Jackie A. Cassell are with the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, UK. M. Gary Brook is with the Patrick Clements Clinic, Central Middlesex Hospital, London. Claudia S. Estcourt is with the Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Blizard Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Barts Sexual...), Catherine Aicken (0000-0001-7515-3667, Queen Mary University of London), Catherine R H Aicken (Catherine H. Mercer, Catherine R. H. Aicken, and Jackie A. Cassell are with the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, UK. M. Gary Brook is with the Patrick Clements Clinic, Central Middlesex Hospital, London. Claudia S. Estcourt is with the Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Blizard Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Barts Sexual...), M Gary Brook (Catherine H. Mercer, Catherine R. H. Aicken, and Jackie A. Cassell are with the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, UK. M. Gary Brook is with the Patrick Clements Clinic, Central Middlesex Hospital, London. Claudia S. Estcourt is with the Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Blizard Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Barts Sexual...), Claudia S Estcourt (Catherine H. Mercer, Catherine R. H. Aicken, and Jackie A. Cassell are with the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, UK. M. Gary Brook is with the Patrick Clements Clinic, Central Middlesex Hospital, London. Claudia S. Estcourt is with the Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Blizard Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Barts Sexual...), Claudia Estcourt (0000-0001-5523-5630, Queen Mary University of London), J Cassell (0000-0003-0777-0385, University of Sussex), Jackie A Cassell (Catherine H. Mercer, Catherine R. H. Aicken, and Jackie A. Cassell are with the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Research, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, UK. M. Gary Brook is with the Patrick Clements Clinic, Central Middlesex Hospital, London. Claudia S. Estcourt is with the Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, Blizard Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Barts Sexual...)
Year2011
Volume101
Issue11
Pages2117-2123
Publication date2011-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2011.300211
PMID21940925
PMCIDPMC3222400
OpenAlexW2054270016
LanguageEN
References cited23

Objectives. We present the first evidence-based method for estimating public health and cost impacts of partner notification (PN) that takes account of sexual partnership type. Methods. Our algorithm uses routine clinical data, probability survey data, and transmission parameters. We propose 2 new epidemiological concepts to quantify PN impact: “[the] absolute reduction in onward transmission” and its reciprocal, “[the] number needed to treat to interrupt transmission” (i.e., the number of partners who need to be treated to interrupt 1 onward transmission). We demonstrate these concepts for 273 chlamydia cases diagnosed at a UK genitourinary medicine clinic. Results. The number needed to treat to interrupt transmission (overall, for casual partners, and for regular partners, respectively) was 1.47, 1.11, and 2.50, respectively, for men younger than 25 years; 1.60, 0.83, and 1.25, respectively, for women younger than 25 years; 2.35, 1.39, and 2.08, respectively, for men older than 25 years; and 2.14, 0.93, and 2.08, respectively, for women older than 25 years. Conclusions. PN that targets casual partners, rather than regular or live-in partners, prevents more secondary transmissions per partnership; it is also more resource intensive, but the public health benefit is greater

Business · Casual · Chlamydia · Family medicine · General partnership · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) · Interrupt · Partner notification · Public health · Telecommunications · Transmission (telecommunications) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Computer Science · Demography · Epidemiology · Immunology · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Nursing · Reproductive tract infections research · Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment

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