伴侣通知(PN)是性传播感染(STI)控制的基本要素。它可以识别,可能受益于其他预防性干预措施的性接触者的治疗和建议,如艾滋病毒暴露前和暴露后预防。PN在减少性传播感染方面最有效,当它到达最有可能患有性传播感染的个人并参与促进性传播的性行为时,包括有多个和/或新的性伴侣。PN实践的结果需要是可衡量的,以便为标准提供信息。他们需要解决护理级联中的所有五个阶段:激发合作伙伴,建立可联系的合作伙伴,通知,测试和治疗。在英国,既定的成果措施仅涵盖前三个阶段,没有考虑到性伴侣关系的类型。我们报告了一个基于证据的过程,以开发新的PN结果并告知护理标准。我们进行了系统的文献综述,评估有关性伴侣关系类型的已发布信息以及修改的Delphi过程以达成共识。我们在级联的五个阶段提出了六个新的PN结果度量,包括按性伴侣关系类型分层。我们的PN结果测量框架有可能在其他领域做出贡献,包括新冠肺炎接触追踪。
Partner notification (PN) is an essential element of sexually transmitted infection (STI) control. It enables identification, treatment and advice for sexual contacts who may benefit from additional preventive interventions such as HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. PN is most effective in reducing STI transmission when it reaches individuals who are most likely to have an STI and to engage in sexual behaviour that facilitates STI transmission, including having multiple and/or new sex partners. Outcomes of PN practice need to be measurable in order to inform standards. They need to address all five stages in the cascade of care: elicitation of partners, establishing contactable partners, notification, testing and treatment. In the United Kingdom, established outcome measures cover only the first three stages and do not take into account the type of sexual partnership. We report an evidence-based process to develop new PN outcomes and inform standards of care. We undertook a systematic literature review, evaluation of published information on types of sexual partnership and a modified Delphi process to reach consensus. We propose six new PN outcome measures at five stages of the cascade, including stratification by sex partnership type. Our framework for PN outcome measurement has potential to contribute in other domains, including Covid-19 contact tracing.