Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Dec 10, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Dec 9, 2024 - Feb 3, 2025
Date Accepted: Aug 6, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Perceptions, barriers, and facilitators of provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling, and HIV voluntary counselling and testing among healthcare workers in China: protocol for a multicentre cross-sectional study
ABSTRACT
Background:
HIV testing and counselling interventions have been pivotal in efforts to curb the HIV epidemic, with diverse delivery models implemented globally. However, existing studies primarily focus on individual perspectives, with limited attention given to the essential role of healthcare workers in the effective implementation of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and provider-initiated testing and counselling (PITC) services in China.
Objective:
This protocol describes the design of the Provider-initiated Views on PITC and VCT Study (PIVOT Study), which aims to assess healthcare workers' perceptions, barriers, and facilitators related to the implementation of PITC and VCT in Guangdong Province, China.
Methods:
The PIVOT Study is a multicentre, cross-sectional observational study. Eligible participants are healthcare workers employed at various healthcare service institutions, including hospitals, VCT clinics, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and community health centres. A convenience sampling method will be employed. Data will be collected via a structured digital questionnaire covering five domains: sociodemographic information, general health status, psychosocial characteristics, knowledge related to PITC/VCT, and experiential insights regarding service provision. Descriptive statistics will be used to characterise variable distributions, and multivariable logistic regression models will assess associations between independent and outcome variables. Secondary analyses will explore subgroup differences based on age, years of experience, sex, institution type, and geographical location. A total of approximately 400 healthcare workers will be recruited.
Results:
The PIVOT Study proposal was submitted in December 2024 and received funding approval in May 2025, with official project initiation planned for July 2025. Study design and survey instrument revisions were completed between December 2024 and March 2025. A pilot survey is currently underway (April to May 2025), followed by questionnaire testing and refinement (June to August 2025). Formal data collection is anticipated from September to November 2025, with data cleaning and preliminary analyses scheduled for December 2025 to January 2026. Final data analysis and manuscript preparation are planned for February to June 2026.
Conclusions:
The PIVOT Study will generate important insights into healthcare workers’ perspectives on PITC and VCT service delivery in China. The findings are expected to inform the development of targeted strategies to strengthen HIV testing efforts, particularly among underrepresented populations such as older adults. Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and national and international conferences.
Citation
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