Abstract: Out of 14 717 citations, only one study met the inclusion criteria; an RCT conducted on homeless and high-risk youth between September 1998 and October 1999 in Portland, United States. Participants (n=351) were offered counselling and oral HIV testing and were randomised into face-to-face (n=187 participants) and telephone (n=167) notification groups. The telephone notification group had the option of receiving HIV test results either by telephone or face-to-face. Overall, only 48% (n=168) of participants received their HIV test results and post-test counselling. Significantly more participants received their HIV test results in the telephone notification group compared to the face-to-face notification group; 58% (n=106) vs. 37% (n=62) (p < 0.001). In the telephone notification group, the majority of participants who received their HIV test results did so by telephone (88%, n=93). The study could not offer information about the effectiveness of telephone HIV test notification with HIV-positive participants because only two youth tested positive and both were assigned to the face-to-face notification group. The study had a high risk of bias. We found only one eligible study. Although this study showed the use of the telephone for HIV test results notification was more effective than face-to-face delivery, it had a high-risk of bias. The study was conducted about 13 years ago in a high-income country, on a high-risk population, with low HIV prevalence, and the applicability of its results to other settings and contexts is unclear. The study did not provide information about telephone HIV test results notification of HIV positive people since none of the intervention group participants were HIV positive. We found no information about the acceptability of the intervention to patients’ and providers’, its economic outcomes or potential adverse effects. There is a need for robust evidence from various settings on the effectiveness of telephone use for HIV test results notification.

Plain-language summary: The aim of this review was to assess effectiveness of the telephone for HIV test result delivery, compared with face-to-face or other methods of HIV test result notification. After a comprehensive search of various scientific databases and other resources, we found only one relevant study. This study was performed in 1998-1999 in the United States on high-risk and homeless youth. The participants were offered an HIV test and told that their HIV test results would be available in two weeks. They were then divided into two groups; one that had to return to the testing site to get their HIV test results, and another that had the option of receiving HIV test results either by telephone or face-to-face at the testing site. Overall, less than half of participants received their HIV test results. Most participants in the telephone notification group opted for telephone rather than in person delivery of HIV test results.The proportion of youth receiving their HIV test results in the telephone group was significantly higher compared to the face-to-face group. However, since none of the participants in the telephone group were HIV positive, the study could not provide information about the effectiveness of telephone HIV test result delivery in people with HIV. In addition, we could not find any information about other relevant outcomes such as participants’ and providers’ satisfaction with the telephone HIV test results delivery, cost or potential harmful effects of this intervention. We urgently need more studies conducted in various settings comparing the effectiveness of telephone to other ways of HIV test result delivery and providing other relevant information in addition to the proportion of people receiving their HIV test results.