Long term effect of primary health care training on HIV testing: A quasi-experimental evaluation of the Sexual Health in Practice (SHIP) intervention

Background To examine the effect of Sexual Health in Practice (SHIP) training for general practitioners (GPs) on HIV testing rates in Haringey, a deprived area of London, UK, with a population of over 250,000 and HIV prevalence of 0.7% (in 2014). SHIP is an educational intervention delivering peer-developed and peer-led face-to-face training to improve quality of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care. Methods We carried out a quasi-experimental study of intervention effects across 52 GP practices (2008-2016). We used time variation in SHIP intervention exposure for effect estimation, controlling for practice and calendar month fixed effects in panel analysis. From 2008-2010, baseline data were collected, and in the subsequent six-year period, 78 GPs in Haringey (approximately 40% of all GPs) were SHIP trained. 46 Haringey practices (of 52) had at least one trained doctor. Outcome measures were monthly HIV tests and results by practice (obtained from the hospital laboratories). Results SHIP significantly increased HIV testing; for every GP trained, practice HIV testing rates increased by 16% (testing rate ratio (TRR) 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.28, p value 0.004). This significant effect was demonstrated using an 8-year observation period, and was sustained over the post intervention period. An average of 1.42% of HIV tests were positive. Conclusion SHIP training produces a significant and sustained increase in HIV testing for each GP trained. Compared with general population screening, HIV tests used in routine clinical care have a high probability of detecting a positive person. Unlike an RCT, this evaluation is a 'real life' measure of the effect that commissioners of SHIP could expect in comparable areas of the UK. The effectiveness of the SHIP training may be related to the programme components not included in interventions that did not demonstrate an effect, such as peer-led teaching, and use of approaches to communication and rapid risk assessment tailored to the setting.