Quality of Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinical Management and Contact Tracing Outcomes in a Remote Area of High Sexually Transmitted Infection Endemicity

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess health professionals' adherence to Western Australian sexually transmitted infection (STI) management guidelines and to document the outcomes of contact tracing in a remote Indigenous setting.Methods: This article comprises 2 parts: a retrospective clinical audit of quality of clinical STI management and outcomes of contact tracing and an analysis of completeness of relevant laboratory investigations.Results: Documented clinical STI management of index cases varied from 94% receiving treatment in accordance with the Guidelines, whereas only 48% underwent a clinical examination. Sexual contacts who underwent STI consultation had concordant (30%) and discordant (17%) STI(s). The proportion of patients with STI(s) in whom all appropriate laboratory investigations had been requested increased from 25% in 1998 to 9% to 49% in 2001-2002.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that quality of clinical STI management comparable to that observed overseas is possible despite the challenges of healthcare delivery in a remote setting.