Internet Based Testing

We have an active program of research centred on BC’s internet-based testing program, GetCheckedOnline which allows users to request a lab form online, go to a local lab to get tested for STIs (HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis C), and get results online (if negative) or by phone. We have embedded research at all phases of development, pilot and scale-up, since 2009.

Plain Language Summaries

Community STI Testing Survey: Findings

Journal Articles

Client perspectives on creating supportive sexual health environments for people with persistent anxiety: a qualitative study

‘Sometimes white doctors are not very friendly or inclusive’: a Critical Race Theory analysis of racism within and beyond sexual health settings

Perspectives on digital testing services for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections from Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer Black, Indigenous, people of colour living in Ontario, Canada

Reach of GetCheckedOnline among gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men and Two-Spirit people and correlates of use 5 years after program launch in British Columbia, Canada

Cost-effectiveness of internet-based HIV screening among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in Metro Vancouver, Canada

Acceptability of an existing online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection testing model among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Ontario, Canada

Evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 related public health restrictions on access to digital sexually transmitted and blood borne infection testing in British Columbia, Canada: An interrupted time series analysis

Disruptions of sexually transmitted and blood borne infections testing services during the COVID-19 pandemic: accounts of service providers in Ontario, Canada.

Cisnormativity as a structural barrier to STI testing for trans masculine, two-spirit, and non-binary people who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men

Challenges to communicating the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) HIV prevention message: Healthcare provider perspectives

Partner number and use of COVID-19 risk reduction strategies during initial phases of the pandemic in British Columbia, Canada: a survey of sexual health service clients

Accessing needed sexual health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada: a survey of sexual health service clients

Caught between HIV exceptionalism and health service integration: Making visible the role of public health policy in the scale-up of novel sexual health services

Awareness of and intention to use an online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection service among gay and bisexual men in British Columbia, two years after implementation

Validation of a clinical prediction rule to predict asymptomatic chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections among internet-based testers

Pay to skip the line: The political economy of digital testing services for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections

An institutional ethnography of political and legislative factors shaping online sexual health service implementation in Ontario, Canada

A cohort study comparing rate of repeat testing for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections between clients of an internet-based testing programme and of sexually transmitted infection clinics in Vancouver, Canada

Assessing the Impact of a Social Marketing Campaign on Program Outcomes for Users of an Internet-Based Testing Service for Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections: Observational Study

Post-test comparison of HIV test knowledge and changes in sexual risk behaviour between clients accessing HIV testing online versus in-clinic

Qualitative analysis of the experiences of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men who use GetCheckedOnline.com: a comprehensive internet-based diagnostic service for HIV and other STIs

Stigma associated with sexually transmissible infection testing in an online testing environment: examining the perspectives of youth in Vancouver, Canada

A novel Bayesian approach to predicting reductions in HIV incidence following increased testing interventions among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Vancouver, Canada

Differences in experiences of barriers to STI testing between clients of the internet-based diagnostic testing service GetCheckedOnline.com and an STI clinic in Vancouver, Canada

Anticipating the potential for positive uptake and adaptation in the implementation of a publicly funded online STBBI testing service: A qualitative analysis

Click yes to consent: Acceptability of incorporating informed consent into an internet-based testing program for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections

Use of GetCheckedOnline, a comprehensive web-based testing service for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections

Get checked… where? The development of a comprehensive, integrated internet-based testing program for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in British Columbia, Canada

Got checked where? Online STI testing now available in BC

Factors Associated with Intention to Use Internet-based Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men Who Have Sex With Men

Internet-Based HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing in British Columbia, Canada: Opinions and Expectations of Prospective Clients

From waiting rooms to websites: Online testing for sexually transmitted infections is being developed for BC

Reports

Ten years later: The impacts of GetCheckedOnline

Bringing self-collection kits for STBBI testing to scale for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada: How should we do this?

Working Together: Considerations for Engaging Peer Researchers on Projects—A Researcher’s Handbook

Beyond Initial Implementation: Barriers and facilitators to the scale-up, adaptation, maintenance & sustainability of GetCheckedOnline

Sex in the Time of COVID-19: Preliminary results from a survey conducted on July 21 to August 4, 2020

The impact of GetCheckedOnline.com: BC’s internet-based testing program for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections

Obtaining informed consent through an internet-based HIV/STI testing service

Health care provider perspectives on internet-based testing for sexually transmitted infections in British Columbia

Health equity and GetChecked: How can we make an online testing service that works for everyone?

Conference Proceedings

Design and implementation factors associated with missed opportunities to provide testing on GetCheckedOnline: 2022 client experience survey findings.

Cost of the GetCheckedOnline program: Micro-costing analysis

A health equity analysis of awareness and use of GetCheckedOnline in communities outside Vancouver, BC

Reasons individuals initially engaging with an online sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing service do not test: implications for service design and implementation

Assessing potential missed opportunities for recommended clinical care among users of GetCheckedOnline, British Columbia’s online testing service for sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections.

Health equity effects of digital interventions for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection testing: A scoping review

Online and provider-based testing for sexually-transmitted and bloodborne infections: describing patterns of use among repeat testers in British Columbia, Canada

Reach and use of an internet-based sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infection testing survey during scale-up to urban, suburban and rural communities in British Columbia, Canada

Factors associated with intention to use self-sampling services for HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections among men who have sex with men in British Columbia, Canada

Patterns of testing among repeat users of an online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing system in British Columbia, Canada

Evaluating the Impact of Expanding Internet-based Testing for Sexually-transmitted and Blood-borne Infections: Awareness and Use of GetCheckedOnline in Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities in BC

Return to “Normal”? Examining Barriers, Disruptions, and Innovations to STBBI Testing for Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Ontario

Scale-up of a novel testing service: Examining how public health policies impact the context for ongoing program implementation

Acceptability of alternative sexual health service delivery methods during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia (BC), Canada

Awareness of internet-based testing for sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections among sexual minority men in British Columbia, Canada

Increased use of internet-based testing for sexually-transmitted and bloodborne infections during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on accessing needed sexual health services during March–July 2020 in British Columbia (BC), Canada

Accessing needed sexual health service during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia (BC)

Sexual health service access during the COVID-19 pandemic: Increased use of internet-based sexually-transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBI) testing in British Columbia

Expanding the reach of internet-based testing for sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections: Awareness of GetCheckedOnline among sexual minority men in British Columbia, Canada

High acceptability of online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing for sexual minority men living in Ontario, Canada

Interest in alternative sexual health service delivery methods during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia

Sexual health service needs by gender and sexual orientation among clients in British Columbia during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic response

Workshop — Changing the narrative on HIV and STBBI testing: Innovation and community reflections

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual behaviours and sexual healthcare access for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in British Columbia

GetCheckedOnline: An institutional ethnography of the adaptation and scale-up of internet-based testing for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections

GetCheckedOnline Ontario? Exploring Digital STI Testing in a Context of Political-Economic Complexity.

Scale-up and Sustainability of Digital Public Health Services for STBBI Testing: an Investigation of Healthcare Service and HIV Policy Context in British Columbia

Partner Notification Outcomes for Chlamydia/Gonorrhea Cases Diagnosed Through Clinics vs GetCheckedOnline in British Columbia

Regional differences in STI testing barriers among online testers in British Columbia, Canada

Regional differences in use of GetCheckedOnline and client characteristics across British Columbia, Canada

The impact of including throat and rectal swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing online in British Columbia, Canada

Validating a clinical prediction rule for chlamydia and gonorrhea infection among online testers in British Columbia, Canada

Can we do it online? Validating a clinical prediction rule for chlamydia and gonorrhea infection among internet-based testers in British Columbia

Comparing frequency of testing between individuals accessing sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection testing online and those testing in clinic

The cost-effectiveness of Get Checked Online vs. clinic-based testing for the screening of HIV in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Metro Vancouver

Incorporating sexual health survey and clinical data to predict the impact of testing among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Vancouver, Canada

Differences in reported testing barriers between clients of an online STBBI testing service and a provincial STI clinic in Vancouver, Canada

Investigating selection bias: cross-sample comparison of gay and bisexual men concurrently recruited from an STI clinic, sex-seeking apps, and a pride event in British Columbia, Canada

No differences in knowledge of key HIV test concepts between users of an online STI testing service and in-clinic testers in Vancouver, Canada

High satisfaction with and loyalty to GetCheckedOnline.com among first-time users of an online STI testing service in British Columbia, Canada

A qualitative analysis of testing preferences among youth and men who have sex with men using an online HIV/STI testing service in Vancouver, Canada

Reach and acceptability of an online HIV/STI testing service among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living in British Columbia, Canada

Differences in uptake, characteristics, and testing history of clients of GetCheckedOnline during scale-up to urban, suburban and rural communities in British Columbia, Canada

Scaling up an online STI and HIV testing program in British Columbia

Use of a comprehensive Internet-based STI/HIV testing service in Vancouver, British Columbia and uptake by promotion strategy

Get checked… where? Lessons learned from implementing GetCheckedOnline, an integrated, complex public health system intervention to promote online STI/HIV testing in British Columbia, Canada

Should your visuals be wearing blue, pink or yellow pants (or no pants at all)? Developing specimen self-collection instructions that are more sensitive to the needs of traditionally marginalized and underserved client populations

Referring clinic-turnaways to British Columbia’s internet-based testing program GetCheckedOnline to increase capacity for timely STI/HIV testing

“Click yes to consent”: Can we achieve informed consent for online testing for sexually transmitted infections?

Anti-virus software: Internet-based STI and HIV testing with GetCheckedOnline

“There are a million scenarios to consider”: Health care provider perspectives on internet-based testing for sexually transmitted infections, HIV and hepatitis C in British Columbia

Potential for internet-based testing to reach gay, bisexual and other MSM in Canada facing current barriers to testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections

Impact of a Nurse Cyber-Outreach Program for Sex Workers and Patrons, and Appeal of Internet-Based Testing in this Population

Acceptability and appeal of internet-based STI and HIV testing among a sample of gay men and clients attending STI clinics in British Columbia

Key Presentations

Examining contextual and health equity factors shaping the implementation of GetCheckedOnline in British Columbia and Ontario

Barriers and Facilitators to the Adaptation and ongoing Implementation of Online Sexual Services

Implementing online STBBI testing in British Columbia

GetCheckedOnline: Improving digital public health?

If you build it, will they come? The launch of Get Checked Online, BC’s internet-based STI/HIV testing service

Grants

Understanding contextual factors to effectively and equitably scale up GetCheckedOnline to diverse populations and geographic setting

Optimizing the impact of internet-based testing for the control of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

GetCheckedBC: Developing new knowledge to inform the province-wide implementation of an online STI/HIV testing service for youth

Factors affecting the implementation & scalability of online sexual health services

Impact of an Integrated Internet-based Testing Program for HIV and STI in British Columbia

Online STI testing & youth

Fact Sheets

Experiences of racism within and beyond sexual health settings

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Views on online testing from Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer Black, Indigenous, people of colour(2SGBTQ+ BIPOC) in Ontario

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Fact Sheet: GetCheckedOnline improves access to testing for sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections.

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One-page summary of report: Beyond initial implementation: Barriers and facilitators to the scale-up, adaptation, maintenance & sustainability of GetCheckedOnline

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One-page summary of article: Validation of a clinical prediction rule to predict asymptomatic chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections among internet-based testers)

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One-page summary of article: Pay to skip the line: The political economy of digital testing services for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections

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One-page summary of article: An institutional ethnography of political and legislative factors shaping online sexual health service implementation in Ontario, Canada

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Executive Summary: Sex in the Time of COVID-19

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GetCheckedOnline overcomes testing barriers to reach the people who need it the most

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Anticipating the impacts of an online testing service for sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections

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Collecting informed consent – and how you do it! – is key for online health services

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GetCheckedOnline: an acceptable, feasible way to engage people in testing for sexually transmitted infections

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Understanding which gay and bisexual men in Canada may use internet-based testing for HIV and STI

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What it takes to develop a complex, online public health system intervention: The case of GetCheckedOnline

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GetCheckedOnline clients have higher rates of repeat testing

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