Brown researchers create first-ever HIV rapid ...(proved by the federal Food and Drug Admi...),Health

Merchant and his team created the 10-minute video for maximum impact. It is animated and jargon-free so that as many adults as possible can understand the explanation of HIV, how it is spread, and how the OraQuick test works. The free video is available on the Brown University AIDS Program Web site so that any HIV test provider can download it to share with patients, who can watch it on a waiting room television or on a laptop or handheld computer. The video can be shown to individuals or groups in any testing setting, from an outreach clinic to an emergency department.

Merchant and his team also tested the videos effectiveness in two randomized, controlled pilot trials. In an article published in BioMed Central, the peer-reviewed, open-access publishing house, Brown and Harvard researchers compare how well emergency department patients comprehended rapid HIV pre-test information using different information delivery methods.

In the first trial of 73 patients, some received no testing information while others received HIV pre-test information from an HIV counselor. In the second trial, also conducted in the Rhode Island Hospital emergency department, 120 patients either watched the video or got pre-test information from a counselor. All patients were then given a questionnaire to test their understanding of the pre-test information.

Researchers found that patients who watched the video demonstrated as good or better comprehension of rapid HIV testing fundamentals than patients assigned to the counseling group.

Merchant said a larger trial is underway. But based on these preliminary results, Merchant said the video could be an effective substitute for in-person HIV discussions. Californias Office of AIDS is planning to use a modified version of the video in its testing programs.

The video could be particularly helpful in
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