Interventions to Identify HIV-Positive People Through Partner Counseling and Referral Services

Search Strategy

A comprehensive search strategy for studies evaluating HIV PCRS, including partner notification, was developed in conjunction with HIV reference librarians from the CDC Information Center. The literature search was initiated in September 2003 and later updated in September 2004 using five database-specific search strategies for AIDSLine, Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, and Sociofile. To reduce publication bias and gaps in the automated search, the Community Guide staff conducted additional searches using the Internet, reference lists, and referrals from HIV specialists at CDC and members of the team that conducted the systematic review. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they:

• were published in English during 1985-2004
• were conducted in a country with a high income economy
• assessed partner notification
• provided data to calculate the proportion of individuals tested through partner notification who tested positive for HIV