Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38252474›Full record

ArticleJMIR human factors2024

Digital Triage Tools for Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Compared With General Practitioners' Advice: Vignette-Based Qualitative Study With Interviews Among General Practitioners.

Kyma Schnoor, Anke Versluis, Niels H Chavannes, Esther P W A Talboom-Kamp

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR human factors, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

4 authors.

Kyma SchnoorPublic Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0265-8503
Anke VersluisPublic Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-9489-7925
Niels H ChavannesPublic Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8607-9199
Esther P W A Talboom-KampPublic Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9917-9052

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDigital triage tools for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing can potentially be used as a substitute for the triage that general practitioners (GPs) perform to lower their work pressure. The studied tool is based on medical guidelines. The same guidelines support GPs' decision-making process. However, research has shown that GPs make decisions from a holistic perspective and, therefore, do not always adhere to those guidelines. To have a high-quality digital triage tool that results in an efficient care process, it is important to learn more about GPs' decision-making process.

objectiveThe first objective was to identify whether the advice of the studied digital triage tool aligned with GPs' daily medical practice. The second objective was to learn which factors influence GPs' decisions regarding referral for diagnostic testing. In addition, this study provides insights into GPs' decision-making process.

methodsA qualitative vignette-based study using semistructured interviews was conducted. In total, 6 vignettes representing patient cases were discussed with the participants (GPs). The participants needed to think aloud whether they would advise an STI test for the patient and why. A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts of the interviews. The vignette patient cases were also passed through the digital triage tool, resulting in advice to test or not for an STI. A comparison was made between the advice of the tool and that of the participants.

resultsIn total, 10 interviews were conducted. Participants (GPs) had a mean age of 48.30 (SD 11.88) years. For 3 vignettes, the advice of the digital triage tool and of all participants was the same. In those vignettes, the patients' risk factors were sufficiently clear for the participants to advise the same as the digital tool. For 3 vignettes, the advice of the digital tool differed from that of the participants. Patient-related factors that influenced the participants' decision-making process were the patient's anxiety, young age, and willingness to be tested. Participants would test at a lower threshold than the triage tool because of those factors. Sometimes, participants wanted more information than was provided in the vignette or would like to conduct a physical examination. These elements were not part of the digital triage tool.

conclusionsThe advice to conduct a diagnostic STI test differed between a digital triage tool and GPs. The digital triage tool considered only medical guidelines, whereas GPs were open to discussion reasoning from a holistic perspective. The GPs' decision-making process was influenced by patients' anxiety, willingness to be tested, and age. On the basis of these results, we believe that the digital triage tool for STI testing could support GPs and even replace consultations in the future. Further research must substantiate how this can be done safely.

Indexed as

General PractitionersSexually Transmitted DiseasesAnxietyAnxiety DisordersHumansMiddle AgedTriageartificial intelligencebest practicebest practicesdiagnosisdiagnosticdiagnosticsdigital healthdigital triage tooleHealthgeneral practitionersGPs decision-makingHIVhuman immunodeficiency virusinterviewinterviewsmedical advicereferralsexually transmittedsexually transmitted diseasesexually transmitted infectionsexual transmissionSTDSTIthematic analysistriagevignettevignettes

Identifiers

PMID38252474
PMCPMC10845018

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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.