PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rosanna W Peeling
AU  - David Mabey
AU  - Ronald C Ballard
TI  - Introducing new diagnostics into STI control programmes: the importance of programme science
AID  - 10.1136/sextrans-2012-050617
DP  - 2013 Mar 01
TA  - Sexually Transmitted Infections
PG  - 115--119
VI  - 89
IP  - 2
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/89/2/115.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/89/2/115.full
SO  - Sex Transm Infect2013 Mar 01; 89
AB  - Many innovative diagnostic technologies will become commercially available over the next 5–10 years. These tests can potentially transform the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections but their introduction into control programmes can be hampered by health system constraints, and political, cultural, socioeconomic and behavioural factors. We used the introduction of syphilis rapid tests to illustrate the importance of programme science to address the gap between accruing evidence of acceptable test performance and the complexity of programme design, implementation and evaluation of test deployment to address public health needs and improve patient-important outcomes.