{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T08:04:20Z","timestamp":1789718660288,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772323200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000085","name":"Ontario HIV Treatment Network","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000085","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["INQUIRY"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasing in Canada, while clinic capacity for testing and treatment remains constrained.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To improve access to STI screening, we developed GetaKit.ca, a web-based platform in Ontario, Canada that allows individuals to complete an online risk assessment, receive STI testing recommendations, and access laboratory-based testing with follow-up through partnerships with local public health units. As part of the service evaluation, we conducted a two-year cost analysis comparing GetaKit with (1) public health STI clinic models in Ontario and (2) the publicly funded Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) system.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>From August 2023 to July 2025, 15,837 requests for STI testing were made through GetaKit.ca, with testing requests increasing by 264% from year 1 to year 2. The overall positivity rate was 3.8%, remaining stable across both years. Total GetaKit costs were $248,098 in year 1 and $427,914 in year 2, corresponding to $72.73 and $34.44 per person tested, respectively. Comparable per-person costs were $49.39 under OHIP in both years and $68.59 (year 1) and $54.95 (year 2) in the STI clinic model. Although implementation-year costs were higher with the GetaKit model, per-person costs declined by more than 50% in year 2, resulting in savings of $14.95\u2013$20.51 per test compared with traditional models.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Together, these findings support online STI platforms as a cost-efficient complement to in-person services that can enhance timely diagnosis and treatment while helping to reduce longer-term healthcare costs associated with untreated infections.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/00469580261489227","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T12:06:16Z","timestamp":1789473976000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Asynchronous Online Platforms Can Reduce Healthcare Costs for STI and HIV Testing: Evaluating GetaKit.ca in Ontario, Canada"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"63","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0587-1409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patrick","family":"O\u2019Byrne","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Ottawa, ON, Canada"},{"name":"Ottawa Public Health, Sexual Health Clinic, Ottawa, ON, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lauren","family":"Orser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, Ottawa, ON, Canada"},{"name":"Ottawa Public Health, Sexual Health Clinic, Ottawa, ON, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_6_2_2","unstructured":"Chlamydia gonorrhea and infectious syphilis in Canada: 2021 surveillance data update. 2023. Accessed Dec 15 2025 from.https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/public-health\/services\/publications\/diseases-conditions\/chlamydia-gonorrhea-infectious-syphilis-2021-surveillance-data.html"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_3_2","unstructured":"Statistics Canada. Health Reports: Virtual care use in Canada: Variation across sociodemographic and health-related factors. 2025. from. https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/pub\/82-003-x\/2025011\/article\/00002-eng.htm. Accessed 17 Dec 2025."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/tmr.2023.0052"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13162\/hro-ors.v12i1.5879"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/09564624211031322"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14745\/ccdr.v47i10a06"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-024-04302-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3138\/cjhs-2024-0043"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/17455057251322810"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_11_2","unstructured":"Public Health Ontario. Chlamydia trachomatis\/Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT\/NG) \u2013 Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT). 2025. https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Laboratory-Services\/Test-Information-Index\/Chlamydia-trachomatis-NAAT-Swabs. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 from."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_12_2","unstructured":"Public Health Agency of Canada. Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections: Guides for health professionals. 2025. https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/public-health\/services\/infectious-diseases\/sexual-health-sexually-transmitted-infections\/canadian-guidelines.html. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 from."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_13_2","unstructured":"Ontario Ministry of Health. OHIP Schedule of Benefits Physician Services Under the Health Insurance Act. 2025. https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/ohip-schedule-benefits-and-fees. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 from."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0212420"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0294628"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_16_2","volume-title":"Digital & Sexual Health Initiative","author":"Gilbert M","year":"2024","unstructured":"Gilbert M, Chang H-J, Ablona A, et al. Ten years later: The impacts of GetCheckedOnline, BC\u2019s digital testing program for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. In: Digital & Sexual Health Initiative. Vancouver, BC; 2024. https:\/\/dishiresearch.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GCO-Impact-report-2024.pdf. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 from."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_17_2","unstructured":"Canadian Institute for Health Information. Patient cost estimator: Ontario - inflammatory disorder of the female reproductive system in adults. 2025. https:\/\/www.cihi.ca\/en\/patient-cost-estimator. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 from."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0101240"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17269\/s41997-022-00682-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_20_2","volume-title":"Current and Future Investments for Reaching the UNAIDS 95-95-95 HIV Targets in Canada: Evidence Review & Cost Analysis","author":"Institute of Health Economics","year":"2024","unstructured":"Institute of Health Economics. Current and Future Investments for Reaching the UNAIDS 95-95-95 HIV Targets in Canada: Evidence Review & Cost Analysis; 2024. https:\/\/www.ihe.ca\/files\/hiv_targets_in_canada.pdf. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 from."}],"container-title":["INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00469580261489227","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/00469580261489227","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00469580261489227","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T07:47:41Z","timestamp":1789717661000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/00469580261489227"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"references-count":19,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/00469580261489227"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/00469580261489227","relation":{},"ISSN":["0046-9580","1945-7243"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0046-9580","type":"print"},{"value":"1945-7243","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"article-number":"00469580261489227"}}