Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32600260›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2020

Promoting routine syphilis screening among men who have sex with men in China: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of syphilis self-testing and lottery incentive.

Weibin Cheng, Cheng Wang, Weiming Tang, Jason J Ong, Hongyun Fu, Michael Marks, M Kumi Smith, Changchang Li, Juan Nie, Peizhen Zhao and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.

Weibin ChengDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Cheng WangDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. wangcheng090705@gmail.com.
Weiming TangDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jason J OngClinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Hongyun FuDivision of Community Health and Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Michael MarksClinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
M Kumi SmithDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, USA.
Changchang LiDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Juan NieDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Peizhen ZhaoDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Heping ZhengDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Bin YangDermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Joseph D TuckerUniversity of North Carolina Project-China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Southern Medical University · CNEastern Virginia Medical School · USHospital for Tropical Diseases · GBLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBMonash University · AUUniversity of Minnesota · US

Funding

Guangdong Medical Research Foundation A2019524
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMen who have sex with men (MSM) bear a high burden of syphilis infection. Expanding syphilis testing to improve timely diagnosis and treatment is critical to improve syphilis control. However, syphilis testing rates remain low among MSM, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We describe the protocol for a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether provision of syphilis self-testing services can increase the uptake of syphilis testing among MSM in China.

methodsFour hundred forty-four high-risk MSM will be recruited online and randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to (1) standard syphilis self-testing arm; (2) a self-testing arm program enhanced with crowdsourcing and a lottery-based incentive, and (3) a standard of care (control). Self-testing services include a free syphilis self-test kit through the mail at monthly intervals. Participants in the lottery incentive arm will additionally receive health promotion materials generated from an open crowdsourcing contest and be given a lottery draw with a 10% chance to win 100 RMB (approximately 15 US Dollars) upon confirmed completion of syphilis testing. Syphilis self-test kits have step-by-step instructions and an instructional video. This is a non-blinded, open-label, parallel RCT. Participants in each arm will be followed-up at three and 6 months through WeChat (a social media app like Facebook messenger). Confirmation of syphilis self-test use will be determined by requiring participants to submit a photo of the used test kit to study staff via secure data messaging. Both self-testing and facility-based testing will be ascertained by sending a secure photographic image of the completed kit through an existing digital platform. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who tested for syphilis in the past 3 months. DISCUSSION: Findings from this study will provide much needed insight on the impact of syphilis self-testing on promoting routine syphilis screening among MSM. The findings will also contribute to our understanding of the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of syphilis self-testing. These findings will have important implications for self-testing policy, both in China and internationally.

trial registrationChiCTR1900022409 (10 April, 2019).

Indexed as

Homosexuality, MaleSexual and Gender MinoritiesAIDS SerodiagnosisChinaCrowdsourcingDiagnostic Tests, RoutineFollow-Up StudiesHealth PromotionHIV-1HIV-2HIV InfectionsHumansImmunoassayMaleMass ScreeningMotivationHIVMSMScreeningSelf-testSyphilis

Identifiers

PMID32600260
PMCPMC7325146
OpenAlexW3037574251

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.