An Educational HIV Pre-Test Counseling Video Program for Off Hours Testing in the ED: A Randomized Control Trial

HIV is increasingly affecting urban populations, making the inner city ED a prime venue for C&T because of their unique opportunity to identify HIV positive patients. These underserved communities often use the ED for their regular health care specifically because it provides services outside of the usual weekday working hours. However, there are significant barriers to HIV C&T in the ED, such as the lack of resources to provide prevention oriented messages, cost issues, and the feasibility of providing the required manpower for testing. The objective of this study is to determine whether an educational video, with the required pre-test counseling elements, conveys the necessary information for inner city ED patients to consent to a standard Elisa HIV test.

In order to address the HIV testing needs of the patient population presenting to the ED, innovative methods must be developed to provide HIV C&T, while simultaneously removing the barriers to testing. Video technology may provide an opportunity to make HIV counseling feasible when counselors are not available.