CaPSTI Info page

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Summary of CaPSTI

Pilot Intervention

Practice guidelines and information

Summary of CaPSTI

CaPSTI is a research study aimed at supporting primary care practitioners in providing improved care for patients who may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The Care Pathways for STI’s in Primary Care (CaPSTI) study is based in two institutions, the Department of Social Medicine and Division of Primary Care, University of Bristol, and the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, University College London. The aim of the CaPSTI study is:

To use novel surveillance and qualitative methods to contribute to the design of low-cost interventions to improve the management of people presenting with STIs in primary care.

The overall approach of the CaPSTI study is guided by the MRC Framework for Development and Evaluation of RCTs for Complex Interventions to Improve Health1,2. The study has ethical approval from the South West MREC committee and is funded by the Medical Research Council, using Department of Health funds aimed at the implementation of the National Strategy for Sexual Health3.

Methods
Throughout 2006, qualitative researchers interviewed patients with possible sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) who attended selected GP practices in Brent (London) and Bristol, the Milne GUM clinic in Bristol and the Patrick Clements GUM clinic in Brent. We have also examined the epidemiology of STI’s using the Avon Surveillance System for STI’s (ASSIST) database in Avon and laboratory data in Brent.

Results of this qualitative and quantitative work were presented at stakeholder workshops in both areas. Stakeholders went on to identify and agree some key low-cost interventions which they suggested may help improve the management of patients presenting with a suspected sexually transmitted infection in primary care.

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Pilot Intervention

This website, including the data recording tool (linked to a quasi QOF payment), is the product of recommended interventions made by local stakeholders – mainly practising clinicians - at the workshops. The main components of it are:

a) Resource Tool
The website contains links to useful resources on the web which you may find useful when managing patients presenting at your practice with a suspected sexually transmitted infection. For example, a patient referral letter that can be printed off for your own use, contact details and opening times of local GUM clinics, patient information leaflets on patient.co.uk and relevant BASHH guidelines.

b) Recordining Basic Care Outcomes
Record a set of standard information for eligible patients via the on-line data-recording tool. Eligibility criteria include:
1. Patient knows or suspects that they have an STI
2. GP suspects that they have an STI due to symptoms, patient’s partner has an STI or any other relevant information.

This component of the intervention is linked to a quasi-QOF payment (£15 per patient).

Specific Objectives of the intervention are:
1. To provide a website giving guidance on provision of care for patients with a suspected STI, in accordance with existing published standards at the Royal College of General Practitioners and British Society for Sexual Health and HIV

2. To provide a monetary incentive to participating GP practices for recording patient management measures in accordance with these standards, in the form of a payment analogous to the QOF (Quality and Outcomes Framework). The impact of the payment on completion of these elements of care will be assessed through a before and after study.

3. To assess the feasibility of recording basic care outcomes in order to determine whether QOF type patients are likely to be a feasible method of motivating GPs to provide an auditable accepted standard of care.

4. To interview participating health care professionals about their experience of using the website and template.

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Practice guidelines and information

Click here to access practice guidelines and information for participating in the pilot intervention study, including timescales, payment details and expectations.

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What is the IDRN?

The Infectious Disease Research Network (IDRN) aims to promote cross-discipline collaborations, provide multidisciplinary training opportunities, and act as a forum for encouraging high quality infectious disease research. It has a membership numbering approx 1000 (as of August 2007) and has several information resources and services that are of benefit to researchers.
The IDRN has designed the CaPSTI webpages and provided the web space for this resource to appear online.

For more about the IDRN, and to gain (free) membership, please visit their website.

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References

1 Medical Research Council. A framework for development and evaluation of RCTs for complex interventions to improve health. 2000. London, MRC.

2 Nazareth I. Stages in the development and evaluation of complex interventions. In Stephenson JM, Imrie J, Bonnell C, eds. Effective Sexual Health Interventions. Issues in Experimental Evaluation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

3 Department of Health. National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV. 2001. London, Department of Health. Click here for the report

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Contact us

Postal address:
Katharine Sadler
Department of Primary Care & Population Sciences
UCL, Royal Free Campus
Rowland Hill Street
London, NW3 2PF

Telephone no: 0207 794 0500 x34761
Fax no: 0207 794 1224

Email:
Katharine Sadler, Research Fellow
or
Jackie Cassell, Principal Investigator

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