Cost of OraQuick oral fluid rapid HIV testing at 35 community clinics and community-based organizations in the USA.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the expanded use of rapid HIV antibody tests in community settings to increase the proportion of persons who are aware of their HIV status. The cost of providing rapid testing services in these settings is not known. We conducted a cost survey of non-profit community clinics and community-based organizations (CBOs). The final study sample for the cost analyses included 28 community clinics and seven CBOs that offered rapid HIV testing, all of which used OraSure's OraQuick oral fluid assay. Overall, the mean per-client rapid testing cost was 36.68 dollars for HIV-negative clients (2006 dollars, provider perspective) and 44.22 dollars for preliminary-positive clients. Personnel costs accounted for 55.6% of overall testing costs for negative clients and 63.2% for preliminary-positive clients. This study contributes unique empirical data about the costs of OralQuick rapid testing that can be used by clinic and CBO directors to assess the economic impact of implementing rapid testing at their sites. The findings also could be used to inform discussions regarding national and local HIV testing policies.