Waiting room video may help trim STDs

Article

New infections among patients at sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics can be reduced by up to 10% by showing a brief educational video in the waiting room, according to an article published in the June issue of PLoS Medicine.

New infections among patients at sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics can be reduced by up to 10% by showing a brief educational video in the waiting room, according to an article published in the June issue of PLoS Medicine.

Lee Warner, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a trial in three publicly funded STD clinics in three US cities, comprising a cohort of 38,635 patients who were randomized to a standard waiting room environment or one in which they watched a 23-minute video on how couples adopted safer sexual practices.

The patients were followed-up for an average of 14.8 months, during which time 2,042 patients were diagnosed with an STD, the report indicates. The rate was 4.9% for those who were in the intervention group and 5.7% for the controls.

“These interventions have the potential to reach large numbers of STD clinic patients efficiently and to be acceptable to clinic staff because they are easy to implement and inexpensive,” the authors write. “Given that STD clinics account for only a minority of diagnosed infections, future research should evaluate the appropriateness, applicability and effectiveness of video interventions in other settings serving at-risk populations, including family planning clinics, adolescent clinics, jails and detention centers, urgent care settings and private clinic settings.”

Warner L, Klausner JD, Rietmeijer CA, et al. Effect of a brief video intervention on incident infection among patients attending sexually transmitted disease clinics. PLoS Med. 2008;5:e135. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050135.g002. Available at: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050135. Accessed August 6, 2008.

Recent Videos
Understanding and managing postpartum hemorrhage: Insights from Kameelah Phillips, MD | Image Credit: callawomenshealth.com
Rossella Nappi, MD, discusses benefits of fezolinetant against vasomotor symptoms | Image Credit: imsociety.org
How AI is revolutionizing breast cancer detection | Image Credit: simonmed.com
Understanding cardiovascular risk factors in women | Image Credit: cedars-sinai.org.
Christie Hilton, DO, discusses breast cancer management | Image Credit: findcare.ahn.org
Updated FLUBLOK label expands influenza vaccine options for pregnant women | Image Credit: mass-vaccination-resources.org
Sheryl Kingsberg, PhD: Psychedelic RE104 for postpartum depression
Mammograms may reveal hidden cardiovascular risks, study finds | Image Credit: providers.ucsd.edu
Erika Hamilton highlights emerging breast cancer trends and advances in treatment | Image Credit: sarahcannon.com
JoAnn Pinkerton discusses elinzanetant's crucial role in VMS therapy | Image Credit: uvahealth.com
© 2024 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.