Implementation of Point of Care Sexually Transmitted Infections Testing in a Community Clinic Setting

A point-of-care test for STIs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomonas) was evaluated in a community-based clinic setting. The test was generally accurate and acceptable to patients. Low reimbursement from insurance could pose financial challenges. The rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, are rising. Point-of-care (POC) testing could increase access to testing and treatment. This evaluation found POC STI testing to be concordant with the results of traditional laboratory testing for 100% of patients who were tested. Ninety-five percent of the patients reported being satisfied with the experience, and 66% preferred it to traditional laboratory testing. The most commonly reported reason for preferring the test was the short amount of time it took to receive results. However, insurance reimbursed less than 30% of what was billed for the POC tests. Low insurance reimbursement rates could be a barrier to implementation long-term financial sustainability of POC STI testing.