Evidence for optimal HIV testing intervals in HIV-negative individuals from various risk groups: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based recommendations for HIV testing are essential for health care providers. However, it is unclear whether there is sufficient evidence to support recommendations for HIV testing frequencies in a variety of HIV risk groups.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this document is to outline the methodological protocol of a systematic review that would gather evidence for the optimal frequency of HIV testing among individuals in various HIV risk groups with respect to personal and public health outcomes and cost-effectiveness.

METHODS

This protocol adheres to the PRISMA-P reporting items, and the review is registered with PROSPERO. The target population includes individuals who may have undiagnosed HIV infection. Different frequencies of HIV testing will be compared and outcomes to do with personal and public health, patient values/preferences and costs will be examined. The search strategy will encompass searches in MEDLINE/Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, PsychINFO, and EconLit, as well as grey literature sources. Articles will be screened by title/abstract, and subsequently by full-text, in duplicate. Extraction of pertinent data from the screened references will be carried out by one reviewer and verified by a second. Multiple critical appraisal tools will be used to assess individual study quality, and the GRADE approach will be used to appraise the overall quality of the evidence. Data will be synthesized narratively, and the results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

DISCUSSION

This systematic review, designed with extensive input from content experts, will help to identify key evidence to inform recommendations for HIV testing frequency.