Missed opportunities to provide sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections testing in British Columbia: An interpretive description of users’ experiences of Get Checked Online's design and implementation

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dc.contributor.authorIyamu, Ihoghosa
dc.contributor.authorKassam, Rosemin
dc.contributor.authorWorthington, Catherine
dc.contributor.authorGrace, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorPedersen, Heather
dc.contributor.authorHaag, Devon
dc.contributor.authorBondyra, Mark
dc.contributor.authorSalmon, Amy
dc.contributor.authorKoehoorn, Mieke
dc.contributor.authorGilbert, Mark
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-07T17:31:16Z
dc.date.available2026-05-07T17:31:16Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractBackground Digital testing services for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs), such as GetCheckedOnline, experience significant user drop-offs. For example, 32% of GetCheckedOnline users needing testing at account creation do not test, constituting missed opportunities. We explored the influence of users’ expectations and experiences of GetCheckedOnline's web design and implementation on missed opportunities. Methods This interpretive description purposively sampled 14 GetCheckedOnline users who created accounts between April 2022 and February 2023, indicated needed testing at account creation but did not test. We conducted semi-structured interviews and cognitive walkthroughs of GetCheckedOnline on Zoom, exploring participants’ expectations and experiences, including problems using the service. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analyses. Results Three themes were identified: (a) transitioning between GetCheckedOnline and laboratory services is a major testing barrier; (b) users’ appraisal of their health and social contexts is a determinant of testing through GetCheckedOnline; and (c) tailoring GetCheckedOnline's design and implementation to accommodate varying user needs can promote equitable testing. Health equity issues occurred along sociodemographic gradients as the GetCheckedOnline-laboratory transition was more onerous for older users. Users’ appraisal of their testing needs which varied by age and gender, and their assessment of time, and travel requirements for testing in remote communities influenced testing. Learning about GetCheckedOnline from healthcare providers improved testing compared with learning about the service through Google search which raised trust concerns regarding GetCheckedOnline's authenticity. Suggested improvements to promote health equity include personalized education, mail-in testing options, and simpler seamless web experiences. Conclusions To promote equitable access to digital STBBI testing services such as GetCheckedOnline, we can adapt web-design and implementation to suit user needs and contexts, ensuring simplicity and options for testing that reduce user burdens.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelFaculty
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This was supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) [Implementation Science Team Grant: FR# CTW- 155387; PIs: MG, DG, CW] https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html. DG is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Health https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx. I.I is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Frederick Banting and Charles Best Doctoral Award (Grant number AWD-018949 CIHR 2021) (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50513.html), the University of British Columbia Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF) and the Bill Meekison Memorial Scholarship in Public Health.
dc.identifier.citationIyamu, I., Kassam, R., Worthington, C., Grace, D., Pedersen, H., Haag, D., Bondyra, M., Salmon, A., Koehoorn, M., & Gilbert, M. (2024). Missed opportunities to provide sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections testing in British Columbia: An interpretive description of users’ experiences of Get Checked Online’s design and implementation. Digital Health, 10, 20552076241277653. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241277653
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241277653
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/23822
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherDigital Health
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-ND
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectsexually transmitted infections
dc.subjectdigital technology
dc.subjecthealth equity
dc.subjectqualitative research
dc.subjecthuman-centered design
dc.subjectSexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Aspiration Research Cluster
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Public Health and Social Policy
dc.titleMissed opportunities to provide sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections testing in British Columbia: An interpretive description of users’ experiences of Get Checked Online's design and implementation
dc.typeArticle

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