HIVDENTAL: Rapid point of care HIV testing in the dental setting v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
HIVDENTAL study. Rapid point of care HIV testing in the dental setting: an acceptability and feasibility study
IRAS ID
221512
Contact name
Janine Doughty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/03/129, UCL Data Protection Registration Reference
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
The aim of the first part of the research project is to understand whether HIV testing in dental settings is acceptable to both dentists and patients. The second part of the research will try and establish whether testing for HIV using finger prick blood samples is feasible in a dental setting and to provide information for a future full scale (Phase III) trial.
The study will consist of two parts. The first part will undertake focus groups to gather the views of dentists and members of the public about HIV testing in the dental setting.
In the second part of the study, a rapid HIV testing service will be offered in dental settings located in London in areas with an extremely high number of people living with HIV. Alongside the testing, a process evaluation will take place which includes interviews with dental staff and patients. All staff involved in the HIV testing will have had bespoke training to perform the test, discuss the outcomes of the test with patients and refer to sexual health services where the test outcome is a preliminary positive result.
The project will run until the specified number of tests at each site have been performed (or until 12 months after the testing has begun). Any patients who have a preliminary positive test will be referred to a specialist sexual health service for confirmatory HIV test and any onward care.
During part 2 of the study focus groups will be undertaken with dental staff involved in the testing process and one-to-one interviews will be undertaken with patients who have been offered the HIV test to understand the feasibility, acceptability and practicalities of HIV testing in the dental settings.
The outcomes from this study will be used to inform the design of a larger phase III study.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0316
Date of REC Opinion
14 Dec 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion