Stepwise Process for Improving the Quality of HIV Rapid and Recency Testing (SPI-RRT)
To assist ministries of health and national programs, a Stepwise Process for Improving the Quality of HIV Rapid and Recency Testing (SPI-RRT) checklist has been developed. The checklist provides guidance on quality assurance (QA) practices for sites using HIV rapid tests to diagnose HIV infection and for sites using the rapid test for recent infection (RTRI) to determine whether a newly HIV diagnosed person has been infected within the past 12 months. The SPI-RRT checklist sets minimum standards for all HIV RT/RTRI testing points and provides guidelines for continuous quality improvement (CQI). Working through the SPI-RRT Checklist will enable the individuals in charge of the HIV RRT/RTRI testing points and facilities to recognize quality gaps and shortcomings, identify areas for improvement and where additional resources may be needed to achieve national certification.
Using the SPI-RRT checklist, the HIV rapid and recency testing site audits are intended to be effective means to:
1) determine if a testing point is providing accurate and reliable results
2) determine if HIV RT/RTRI testing point is well-managed and is adhering to quality practices; and
3) identify areas for improvement.
Surveillance Activities and Inventory Tool
This comprehensive spreadsheet has been developed to aide RTRI implementors to:
1) Calculate the laboratory consumables needed for trainings and specimen panel production,
2) maintain a laboratory consumables inventory log to ensure sufficient supply for upcoming additional TOTs and step-down trainings,
3) monitor national stock supply of RTRI tests and determine when to place next order,
4) maintain a QC, PT, TP panel inventory to ensure there are no stock-outs needed for testing quality monitoring, trainings and a proficiency testing program, and
5) Maintain an inventory and testing results of blood bank samples used to make specimen panels for the RTRI program.
The intended users for this tool include, but not limited to, National Reference Lab (NRL) staff, MOH staff, RTRI implementing partners and study managers responsible for monitoring and maintaining supplies and tests needed for RTRI testing.
If you have any questions about the lab tool provided below, please contact Dr. Ernest Yufenyuy (yod0@cdc.gov)
