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"Home Access uses the same technology that physicians use when they test you for HIV," said Marcus Conant, M.D., internationally recognized AIDS expert and clinical professor at the University of California Medical Center, San Francisco. "The trial results will hopefully encourage more people who have not yet been tested for HIV to strongly consider using this test."

Testing

The study consisted of 1,255 ethnically diverse participants from nine outpatient clinics in the U.S. -- 886 (70.6%) Caucasians, 238 (19%) African-Americans, 57 (4.5%) Hispanics and 74 (5.9%) from other various ethnic groups. Blood was collected from each participant using three different methods: self-collection using the Home Access test kit, and both a finger-stick collection and venous collection by a professional phlebotomist. All three samples from each participant were screened for HIV antibodies and recorded as positive, negative or indeterminate. A total of 166 (13%) participants were found to be HIV positive, 38 of whom were diagnosed as positive for the first time. Findings proved the self-collected blood spots were in 100 percent agreement with the results of the venous specimens.

Counseling

All participants accessed counseling prior to collecting their blood spot specimens. Pre-test counseling included educational information about HIV/AIDS prevention and detection. Participants answered a series of questions posed to measure their level of comprehension upon completion of pre-test counseling. More than 96 percent of the questions were answered correctly, demonstrating the positive implications of pre-test counseling.

"The pre-test counseling was very well accepted by participants in the study," said George Woody, M.D., clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. "Most people accurately received the information given to them in the pre-test counseling session and understood the HIV prevention information."

Throughout counseling, participants could speak with a live counselor or use an automated interactive voice response (IVR) system. Counseling services were offered in both English and Spanish and all counselors received prior HIV counseling training. Study participants called the toll-free Home Access number for their results three days after shipment. All positive or indeterminate results, as well as numerous randomly selected negative results, were delivered by live counselors who were available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The counselors offered medical and social service referrals to all participants with positive or indeterminate results. A total of 270 (21.5%) participants spoke with counselors for post-test counseling and 417 subjects (33%) chose to speak with live counselors at some point during the study.

Self-Collection

Results of the study demonstrated the participants' ability to successfully collect their own blood specimens for analysis. Ninety-eight percent of participants collected a sufficient amount of blood compared to the professional collections.

Participating clinic sites included: Philadelphia, PA; San Francisco, CA; Portland, OR; Cincinnati, OH; New Orleans, LA; Fresno, CA; Mogadore, OH; West Orange, NJ and Lawrenceville, NJ.

Home Access Express(TM) and Home Access(TM) allow clients to anonymously collect a blood spot sample, access test results and professional HIV counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week and obtain fast results in either three business days or in about one week, depending on the type of test kit purchased.

Both products are available nationwide at pharmacies or by calling 1 800 HIV-TEST. Information about Home Access can be found by visiting the company's Internet site at http://www.homeaccess.com.

Based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Home Access is a privately held company dedicated to breaking the barriers to healthcare access by using telemedicine to deliver new methods in self-care diagnostics. Home Access' HIV home test services combine in-home specimen collection with clinical laboratory testing and medically-directed counseling and referrals.

NOTE: For a study reprint please call 312/240-2877.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The E-mail addresses below contain an "at" symbol after "kj" in the first address, and after "sheiman" in the second address. This symbol may not appear properly in some systems.

CONTACT: Home Access Health Corp. Kevin Johnson, 847/781-2504 kj@homeaccess.com or Edelman Worldwide Stacy Heiman, 312/240-2722 sheiman@edelman.com

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