InDemand

Saturday November 22, 2008

According to a recently published journal article, the InSpot online partner notification system is getting a lot of use. Since 2004, more than 30,000 people have sent almost 50,000 e-cards letting their sexual partners know they may have been infected with an STD. Furthermore, more than a quarter of recipients clicked through links on the card to get information about STD testing. The InSpot system is a great use of technology to address an enormously difficult public health problem - getting people to talk to current and former partners about an STD diagnosis. By providing anonymity and convenience it removes two of the biggest hurdles to communication, and it is helping to reach people who might otherwise never realize they need to seek out testing and treatment.
_{Source:

Levine D, Woodruff AJ, Mocello AR, Lebrija J, Klausner JD (2008) inSPOT: The First Online STD Partner Notification System Using Electronic Postcards. PLoS Med 5(10): e213 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050213}