Newsletters

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No. 1, November 2014

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No. 2, February 2015

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No. 3, May 2015

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No. 4, June 2015

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No. 5, September 2015

OptTEST Newsletter No 6, February 2016 

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No 7, June 2016 

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No 8, August 2016

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No 9, December 2016

OptTEST Newsletter Issue No. 10. January 2017

OptTEST Newsletter, Issue No. 11. July 2017

OptTEST Newsletter, Issue No. 12. October 2017

Peer-reviewed journal articles 

K. Rüütel, L. Lemsalu, S. Lätt, J. Epštein, on behalf of OptTEST by HiE. Missed opportunities for HIV testing in people diagnosed with HIV, Estonia, 2014 to 2015. Euro Surveill. 2019; 24(15). 

L. Power, J. Hows, SF Jakobsen, A.-I. Von Lingen. Key findings on legal and regulatory barriers to HIV testing and access to care across Europe. HIV Medicine Special Issue: Outcomes of the HepHIV 2017 Malta Conference: Joining Forces for Earlier Diagnosis and Linkage to Care Across Europe. February, 2018

K. Rüütel, L. Lemsalu. Monitoring HIV‐indicator condition guided HIV testing in Estonia. HIV Medicine Special Issue: Outcomes of the HepHIV 2017 Malta Conference: Joining Forces for Earlier Diagnosis and Linkage to Care Across Europe. February, 2018

S. Croxford, F. Burns, A. Copas, A. Pharris, V. Delpech. Factors associated with delayed linkage to care following HIV diagnosis in the WHO European Region. HIV Medicine Special Issue: Outcomes of the HepHIV 2017 Malta Conference: Joining Forces for Earlier Diagnosis and Linkage to Care Across Europe. February, 2018

Manzanares FJ, Gamarra M, Perez-Elias MJ, Del Amo J, Hernando V, OptTEST Research group. Review of HIV testing recommendations for HIV indicator conditions in specialty and primary care guidelines in Spain. BMC Public Health. (under review) 09/07/2017

Fuster MJ, Bolúmar-Montero F, Molero F, Del Amo J, Alventosa J. A psychosocial analysis of Spanish judgements addressing the sexual transmission of HIV: 1996-2016”. Submitted to AIDS Care (under review)

Kowalska J, Grzeszczuk A, Pyziak-Kowalska K et al. Shaping the HIV epidemic in Poland – proceedings from the first Polish workshop on cascade of care in HIV. HIV AIDS Rev 2017; 16.

Lord E, Stockdale AJ, Maleck R et al. Evaluation of HIV testing recommendations in specialty guidelines for the management of HIV indicator conditions. HIV Medicine 2016.

Férnandez JM and del Amo Valero, J. Coste-efectividad de las estrategias de diagnóstico precoz del VIH en Atención Primaria.  Revista Multidisciplinar de SIDA MONOGRÁFICO 2016 Vol. 4 . Núm. 8. Septiembre 2016

Other Publications 

Policy briefings

• Policy Brief: Scaling up early diagnosis for HIV through diversifying HIV testing approaches beyond clinical settings (in English); In French; In Greek; In Romanian; In Spanish

• Policy Brief: Scaling up early diagnosis for HIV through expanded implementation of provider-initiated HIV testing (in English); In Greek; In Romanian; In Spanish

Data reports

• Data Report, OptTEST: WP6 HIV-testimise kulutõhusus (WP6 cost-effectiveness results: Estonia) (in Estonian), Tallinn, Estonia, 2017
• Data Report, Linkage to care Literature review, May 2017
  

Meeting reports & Proceedings 

• Meeting report, OptTEST Final Conference, 19 September 2017, Brussels 
• Meeting report, National Stakeholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14  September 2017. Madrid
• Meeting report, Regional meeting on improving early diagnosis on primary care in Catalonia and Europe, 10 June, Barcelona, Spain
• Meeting report, National stakeholder meeting, Lisbon, Portugal 5-6 June 2016 - Presentations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Meeting Report, Linkage to and retention in care: Experiences from Greece and challenges for the future, May 2017
• Proceedings of the EU Health Programme Projects' Symposium, 31 January 2017, Malta 
• Meeting Report, Expert Meeting on HIV continuum of care, 8-9 September 2015 

News media  

• Interview with Lisa Power. What are the barriers to HIV testing and treatment access – and how do we overcome them? In Sexual Health & HIV Policy EUROBulletine, eFeature, September 2017. 

Methodological documents 

• Protocol, Linkage to HIV care following diagnosis in the WHO European Region: systematic review and metadata analysis, 2006-2015
• Baseline Part 1 Survey (IC-guided HIV testing)
• Baseline Part II Survey (IC-guided HIV testing)

Presentations 

2018

A.K. Sullivan¹, C. Rae¹, I. Sperle², S. Jakobsen², J.D. Kowalska³, R. Lugo Colon⁴, L. Lemsalu⁵, M.J. Perez Elias⁶, A. Vassilenko⁷, N. Badridze⁸, V. Sikolova⁹, G. Kutsyna¹⁰, M. Rayment¹, D. Raben², J. Lundgren², OptTEST for HIV in Europe  [Poster]

2017

MJ Fuster, F Bolúmar-Montero, F Molero, J Del Amo,  J Alventosa. A psychosocial analysis of Spanish judgements addressing the sexual transmission of HIV: 1996-2016”. GeSIDA, Vigo, 28 November 2017 [Poster] ....

Sullivan A, Rae C, Sperle I, Finne Jakobsen S, Kowalska JD, Lugo Colon R, Perez Elias MJ, Vassilenko A, Badridze N, Sikollova V, Kutsyna G, Rayment M, Raben D, Lundgren J, for OptTEST by HIV in Europe. OptTEST programme interventions for indicator condition HIV testing significantly increase HIV testing rates. Poster PE23/15. EACS 2017. Milan Italy. [Poster]

Kowalska JD, Perez-Elias MJ, Lugo Colon R, Rae C, Jilich D, Sperle I, Sullivan A, for OptTEST by HIV in Europe. Barriers in offering HIV testing in medical settings are likely to be addressed with short and targeted education – Data from the expanded staff questionnaire OptTEST project. Poster PE25/21. EACS 2017. Milan, Italy. [Poster]

M Gamarra, A Azcoaga, FJ Manzanares, MJ Perez-Elias, J del Amo, V Hernando V, OptTEST Research group. Recomendación de la prueba del VIH en guías clínicas de enfermedades indicadoras de VIH: Papel de Atención Primaria. XXXVII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria. 2017 Madrid. 

M Gamarra, A Azcoaga, FJ Manzanares, MJ Perez-Elias, J del Amo, V Hernando V, OptTEST Research group. Recomendación del cribado de la infección por VIH en guías clínicas de enfermedades indicadoras de VIH: Papel de Atención Primaria. XXXVII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria. 2017 Madrid. [Poster]

OptTEST Final Conference Brussels September 2017

D Raben. The OptTEST Project - overall conclusions/outcomes. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

E Lord. How to enhance provider initiated testing. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

R Bilidas. Advocacy tool kits overcoming Sigma and regulatory barriers. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

J Hows. Demonstration projects overcoming Sigma and regulatory barriers. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

A Sullivan. IC-guided testing interventions. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

S Croxford. Linkage to care in Europe. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

J del Amo. Modelling data on cost-effectiveness of HIV testing strategies. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

K Ruutel. Costeffectiveness Estonia. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

A Sullivan. Monitoring and testing in health care settings. OptTEST Final Conference Brussels 2017

Presentations from launch of INTEGRATE JA Brussels September 2017:

D Raben. INTEGRATE overview. Launch of INTEGRATE JA Brussels September 2017

A Gurinova. HA-REACT WP4 WP7. Launch of INTEGRATE JA Brussels September 2017

G de Vries. E-DETECT TB. Launch of INTEGRATE JA Brussels September 2017

J Lambert. HepCARE Europe Launch of INTEGRATE JA Brussels September 2017

V Delpech. Regional workshops. Launch of INTEGRATE JA Brussels September 2017

National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017 Madrid:

OC Soria. Spanish Guidelines for HIV Testing. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid

MJ Pérez Elías. IC-guided testing in Madrid. DRIVE 01/02/03 Studies Main Findings. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid

MP Castañeda. Indicator condition, risk-based and universal offer in Primary Care in Madrid. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid

G Mabileau, J Del Amo Valero, K Rüütel, A Davis Paltiel, L Lemsalu, V Supervie, A Díaz Franco, J Martin Fernandez, R Walensky, KA Freedbers, Y Yazdanpanah. From modelling of cost-effectiveness to changes in national HIV testing policies. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid

A Diaz, V Hernando,M Ruiz. New HIV diagnoses in Spain. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid

V Hernando. Review of HIV Testing Recommendations for HIV Indicator Conditions in Speciality and Primary Care in Spain. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid

V Delpech. Elimination of HIV in the United Kingdom - it is happening! National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain.14th September 2017. Madrid

J Hows. Legal and Regulatory Barriers to testing and treatment.Community Training Berlin 13 & 14 September 2017 

J Del Amo J. Coste-efectividad de la realización de la prueba de VIH en atención primaria en España. National Stakelholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 14th September 2017. Madrid 

JD Kowalska. OptTEST in Poland. OptTEST launch of Tools, 25 July 2017, Paris, in conjunction with IAS 2017 [presentation]

J Hows. Legal and Regulatory Barriers to testing and treatment. OptTEST launch of Tools, 25 July 2017, Paris, in conjunction with IAS 2017 [presentation]

L Power. OptTEST barriers toolkit. A toolkit to support challenges to legal and regulatory barriers which hinder access to HIV testing and treatment across Europe. OptTEST launch of Tools, 25 July 2017, Paris, in conjunction with IAS 2017 [presentation]

A Sullivan. Implementing indicator condition guided HIV testing. OptTEST launch of Tools, 25 July 2017, Paris, in conjunction with IAS 2017 [presentation]

Y Yazdanpanah. From modelling of cost-effectiveness to changes in national HIV testing policies (Estonia, France, Spain). OptTEST launch of Tools, 25 July 2017, Paris, in conjunction with IAS 2017 [presentation]

J del Amo. Coste-efectividad de la realización de la prueba de VIH en atención primaria en España, XVIII National Congress on AIDS and STIs, Sevilla, 22-24 March 2017 [Presentation]

Manzanares FJ, Gamarra M, Perez-Elias MJ, Del Amo J, Hernando V, OptTEST Research group. Recomendación de la prueba del VIH en guías de práctica clínica: diferencias entre enfermedades definitorias de sida  y condiciones indicadoras”. XVIII Congreso Nacional sobre el Sida e ITS. 2017 Sevilla [Poster]

G Mabileau et al. Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Screening Strategies Across Europe. Poster #1028, CROI 2017. Boston, Massachusetts [Poster]

A Sullivan. Improving Practice in Health Care Settings [Plenary presentation], EU Health Programme Projects' Symposium, Malta, January 2017 

S Croxford et al. Factors for delayed linkage to care following HIV diagnosis in the WHO European Region [Plenary presentation & Poster], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

V Delpech. Test and link to care: How do we measure our success? [Plenary presentation], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

Manzanares FJ, Gamarra M, Perez-Elias MJ, Del Amo J, Hernando V, OptTEST Research group. Review of specialty guidelines on HIV testing recommendations for HIV indicator conditions in Spain [Poster], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

R Lugo et al. HIV Testing Improvement in Primary Care Through OptTEST's Indicator Condition-Guided Testing: The Tool-1 and Plan-Do-Study-Act Experience in Catalonia, 2016 [Poster], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

L Power et al. Barring the Way to Health: How Legal & Regulatory Barriers are Hindering Modernising HIV Testing across Europe [Oral Presentation and poster], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

K Rüütel & L Lemsalu. Monitoring implementation of HIV-testing guidelines in Estonia [Oral Presentation and Poster], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

K Rüütel & L Lemsalu. Indicator condition-guided HIV testing in Estonia [Poster], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

A Sullivan. Indicator Condition Guided HIV testing - progress and challenges [Plenary presentation], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

Y Yazdanpanah. Cost-effectiveness of HIV testing: frequency and target groups [Plenary presentation], HepHIV 2017 Conference, Malta, January 2017

2016

Manzanares FJ, Gamarra M, Perez-Elias MJ, Del Amo J, Hernando V, OptTEST Research group. Revisión de guías nacionales de enfermedades indicadoras de VIH en relación al cribado de la infección por VIH. VIII Congreso Nacional GeSIDA 2016. San Sebastian [Poster]

Y Yazdanpanah. Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of HIV Screening Strategies in Spain. National Stakeholder meeting: Optimizing HIV testing and linkage to care in Spain. 28th October 2016. Madrid

L Power et al. Ways in which Legal and regulatory barriers hinder the HIV care continuum and the 90/90/90 goals across Europe [Poster], HIV Drug Therapy, Glasgow, October 2016 

L Lemsalu et al. Changes in quality of life of PLHIV in Estonia from 2003 to 2015 [Poster], IAS, Durban July 2016.

L Power. Testing in Europe. What's hindering and what's helping? [Presentation], EATG/AVAC 2nd HIV Prevention Summit, Brussels, January 2016

2015

S Croxford et al. Linkage to Care Following HIV Diagnosis in Europe: A Review of the Literature [Poster], EACS Conference, Barcelona, October 2015

L Lemsalu et al. Direct Costs of HIV/AIDS Care in Estonia [Poster], EACS Conference, Barcelona, October 2015

E Lord et al. Evaluation of HIV Testing Recommendations In Specialty Guidelines for the Management of HIV Indicator Conditions [Poster], EACS Conference, Barcelona, October 2015

C Rae et al. Healthcare Related Costs of Missed Opportunities for HIV Diagnosis: A Potential Driver to Increase Indicator Condition Guided HIV Testing [Poster], EACS Conference, Barcelona, October 2015

Y Rivero-Montesdeoca et al. Impact of Decentralized Drug Purchase on Antiretroviral Treatment Costs in Spain [Poster], EACS Conference, Barcelona, October 2015

A Sullivan. Optimising Testing and Linkage to care for HIV across Europe: OptTEST [Presentation], AIDSImpact, Amsterdam, July 2015

Y Rivero-Montesdeoca. Reducing HIV unknown cases in Spain [Presentation], Liverpool 2015

2014

A Diaz. La cascada del tratamiento en España: primeras estimaciones [Poster], GeSIDA, Malaga, November 2014

Y Rivero-Montesdeoca et al. Estudio de coste-efectividad de la oferta sistemática y voluntaria de la prueba de VIH en Atención Primaria en España: metodología y desarrollo [Poster], GeSIDA, Malaga, November 2014

J Lazarus. OptTEST by HIV in Europe Optimising testing and linkage to care for HIV across Europe [Presentation], EU HIV Cluster Meeting - How can the EU support improvement on HIV prevention? Athens, Hellenic Pasteur Institute - 12-13 June 2014