Table 1

Potential uses of information technology to facilitate sexually transmitted infection (STI) control within clinics

Information technologyBenefit, potential benefit or harm
Computer-assisted self-interviewing

  • Provides more accurate risk assessment (E)

  • May increase STI testing (NE)

  • May increase efficiency (NE)

  • Reduces symptom reporting (E)

  • Provides automatic data fields for EMR to allow decision support software to operate

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

  • Improves quality of recorded information (E)

  • Allows programming of DSS

  • Allows automated quality assurance monitoring

Decision support software (DSS)

  • Benefits well-studied in other areas of medicine (eg, prescribing errors) (E)

  • Increases STI screening through clinician alerts (E)

Computer-based counselling

  • Increases knowledge (E)

  • Reduces self-reported STI risk (E)

  • Acceptable (E)

Short text messages (SMS) to clients

  • Improves appointment attendance (E)

  • Improves STI screening (E)

Web-based STI testing

  • Attracts high risk individuals for testing (E)

Web-based partner notification services allow anonymous notification of sexual partners

  • Widely used and rarely abused (E)

  • E, established with at least observational studies with a control period or control group; NE, no published data available or insufficient published information to know if the IT achieves benefit or harm.