In the United States 20% of HIV positive individuals don’t know that they are infected. These individuals are unknowingly responsible for transmitting 49% of all new infections. To reverse this trend, HIV testing needs to be an integral part of any HIV prevention strategy. When HIV is diagnosed early, patients live an average of 11 years longer. They are also less likely to transmit the virus to others. For years we have known that increased HIV testing would help change the trajectory of the disease. However, there are obstacles to implementing HIV testing. Costs, human capital, behavior, and communication are some of the barriers that HATS was created to address.
HATS is the HIV AIDS test screening software
HATS is the HIV/AIDS Test Screening software. It is technology developed by doctors with Medwiser to help identify if an HIV test is needed. HATS can be used in an emergency room. But it’s also mobile. The screening can be done online at work, home, or on the go. Anyone with access to a computer or smart phone can answer questions securely and privately. If an HIV test is needed, HATS will develop a customized report that can be shared with a health care professional. In a matter of minutes, a patient or healthcare professional can assess risks and receive recommendations that can guide care. HATS can streamline HIV testing and reporting by linking to improved to care and efficiency.
HATS can help bring HIV testing to scale
HIV infects nearly 50,000 Americans annually. If AIDS medications are initiated early, transmission can be reduced by greater than 95%. At Medwiser, we realize that testing is the key to ending the epidemic. But increasing screening in the traditional manner can be costly and require hiring additional employees. It is time and resource consuming to ask patients all of the relevant questions. Some patients may feel embarrassed, and afraid to talk openly about private matters. Even healthcare providers can have difficulty discussing these sensitive topics.
By improving efficiency HATS can:
- Offer a confidential and private setting for patients
- Reduce number of healthcare employees needed
- Decrease costs
- Be easily scaled up or down based on demand
- Save time for patients and doctors
- Automate reporting and improve patient care
HATS ensures recommendations are evidence based
HATS is based on recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). It uses artificial intelligence to survey individuals and make recommendations. HATS doesn’t just encourage HIV testing to a user, but also offers valuable information based on his or her answers. This includes: suggesting frequency for testing, offering recommendations about other STD testing, and providing information on methods to prevent the spread of the virus to others if the user thinks he or she has been exposed.
HIV testing is central to solving the AIDS crisis in America. We do have the means to prevent HIV transmission. Treatment as prevention, combined with other forms of biological prevention can isolate the disease. In a perfect situation, this could reverse the trend until HIV infection becomes rare. However, HATS and other testing tools depend on the identification of a key group of individuals who are unaware of their infection.