'GAVE WHAT BLOOD I COULD UNTIL I THREW UP AND PASSED OUT - SORRY' A SERVICE EVALUATION OF DRIED BLOOD SPOT TESTING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO MINI TUBE TESTING FOR HOME-BASED BLOOD-BORNE INFECTION TESTING IN A SEXUAL HEALTH SETTING

ABSTRACT

Introduction Self-sampled specimens to test for blood borne viruses can involve either mini tube testing (MTT) or dried blood spot testing (DBST).[1] In the UK, remote testing for STIs has increased in recent years, a trend enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst information is already available on these different testing technologies, little is known about the patient experience of home blood-sampling. We present a pilot service evaluation to explore the patient experience of DBST and MTT. Methods DBST kits (including tests for HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C) were sent to 30 patients. People were included in this service evaluation if they were MSM who had a) requested an online MTT kit from our clinic website within the preceding 6 months, b) subsequently returned a blood sample which was inadequate for analysis and c) not yet attended the department for a venous sample. Sample return rates and results were analysed, and patients were also invited to complete a short telephone survey. Discussion Our sample return rate was 67%. This is higher than the reported average from UKHSA for MTT (57%).[2] Nineteen patients completed the survey discussing their experience of both MTT and DBST. We identified significant issues faced by patients when carrying out remote MTT which included logistical difficulties when collecting blood samples, pain and distress. Comparatively, our evaluation demonstrated that DBST was less labour-intensive and therefore the preferred test for 100% of our respondents. Conclusion DBST proves to be a promising and acceptable candidate for future delivery of blood borne virus home sampling.