Predictors of missed HIV screening opportunities among newly diagnosed individuals at an urban medical center in New York City, 2018-2022.

Abstract

ObjectiveTo identify demographic and clinical factors predictive of having a missed opportunity (MO) for HIV screening.DesignRetrospective cohort study.MethodsElectronic medical records were queried for individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in different sites within a large urban academic medical center in New York City between 2018 and 2022. The primary outcome was having one or more MO for HIV screening within the institution, defined as any encounter at which screening was not performed in the 365 days preceding the HIV diagnosis.ResultsOver one third of new diagnoses had at least one MO in the preceding year. Older individuals, cisgender women and those assigned female sex at birth, and heterosexual individuals were more likely to have at least one MO. An initial CD4 ConclusionsThese findings suggest that populations perceived to be at lower risk for HIV are more likely to have MOs and possibly late diagnoses, and that universal HIV screening must be implemented into the workflows of emergency department and outpatient settings to facilitate early diagnosis and reduce the incidence of HIV.