How Primary test-to-treat linkages support patients and reduce disease spread - Primary Health

How Primary test-to-treat linkages support patients and reduce disease spread

  • February 2, 2024

  • Primary.Health Editorial Team

  • 2 minutes

test to treat

By bundling testing, telehealth consults, and e-prescribing, test-to-treat ensures no patient is ever alone with a troubling test result.

A crucial aspect of Primary.Health’s suite of testing solutions is ‘test to treat.’ This proactive strategy aims to diagnose individuals as early as possible and initiate treatment immediately with the goals of better health outcomes and reduced transmission rates. When paired with our CLIA-waived program and point of care testing, results and treatment can occur within the same day. Our at-home test kits provide confirmatory results with quick turnaround times, as needed.

Test-to-treat programs align with our mission of reducing infection spread by focusing on early diagnosis and immediate intervention and treatment. It’s one of the many ways we empower communities to provide accessible and comprehensive healthcare outside the clinic.

At the same time, test-to-treat has gained prominence on the global health stage. The United States Test to Treat community health program for COVID-19 and influenza (flu) A and B offers free at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions, and at-home treatments to eligible participants nationwide. And in a recent National Institutes of Health trial, new HIV infections declined by 30 percent in southern African communities following a local test-to-treat intervention.

Primary test-to-treat empowers public health

Primary test-to-treat can be applied in many healthcare and community settings, including community clinics, public health organizations, schools, and congregate settings. The model is particularly effective in managing infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, RSV, HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Organizations that partner with Primary.Health for large-scale testing of certain STI and respiratory panels can opt to include test-to-treat in their offering. Our team can advise you on the availability of test-to-treat for your program.

With Primary test-to-treat, patients with a positive or abnormal test result can consult virtually with a Primary clinician, who will e-prescribe treatment if necessary to the individual’s pharmacy of choice. Receiving an immediate diagnosis and treatment reassures the patient and often helps individuals avoid severe illness, hospitalization, and death. It also curbs the spread of infection, leading to better population health outcomes overall.

Benefits of Primary test-to-treat

  • Early detection: Test-to-treat identifies infections early, when they are most treatable. Early detection allows for timely intervention, preventing the progression of the disease and reducing the risk of complications.
  • Improved patient outcomes: When infections are detected early and treated immediately, patients have a higher chance of recovering fully and experiencing fewer long-term complications.
  • Reduced transmission: Test-to-treat can break the chain of transmission by minimizing the spread of infectious diseases within the community.
  • Lowered drug resistance: In the case of diseases like gonorrhea, timely initiation of treatment reduces the chance the infection will become resistant to commonly used drugs.
  • Cost savings: By identifying and treating infections early, expensive hospitalizations and long-term treatments care be avoided.

Adopt a proactive approach to community and public health today! Talk to us about our Primary testing programs with test-to-treat option.

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