University of Wisconsin–Madison Medical College of Wisconsin

Creating and Implementing Wisconsin’s First Emergency Department-Based Universal Opt-Out HIV Testing Program

Andrew Petroll, MD; MS, Joanna Woodbury, BSW, CSW; Matthew Chinn, MD; Nathan Ledeboer, PhD; Jonathan Rubin, MD; Dawn Zakzesky, MSN, RN; Ian Martin, MD, MBA

WMJ. 2025;124(2):157-161

Download full-text pdf.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends HIV screening for all patients aged 13 to 64. We sought to improve the health of our patient population by enacting universal HIV screening in our emergency departments.

Methods: Universal opt-out HIV screening was implemented in 7 southeastern Wisconsin emergency departments and included linkage to care for those diagnosed with HIV.

Results: In the first year of this initiative, 57 565 patients were screened for possible testing and 24 417 patients did not opt out (42.4%). In total, 12 406 HIV tests were performed in the first year of the program.

Discussion: Our emergency department opt-out HIV screening initiative identified 23 new cases of HIV, approximately 10% of the average number of incident HIV cases in Wisconsin. We linked 96% of persons newly diagnosed with HIV to HIV medical care.


Author Affiliations: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Chinn, Rubin, Martin); Emergency Department, Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (Zakzesky); Emergency Department, Froedtert West Bend Hospital, West Bend, Wisconsin (Zakzesky); Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, MCW, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Petroll, Woodbury); Center for AIDS Intervention Research, MCW, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Petroll); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, MCW, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Petroll); Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, MCW, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Ledeboer).
Corresponding Author: Dawn Zakzesky, MSN, RN, CNS-BC, CEN, Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, W180 N8085 Town Hall Road, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051; email dawn.zakzesky@froedtert.com.
Financial Disclosures: None declared.
Funding/Support: None declared.
Share WMJ