Management of urethritis in health maintenance organization members receiving care at a multispecialty group practice in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND

Cost containment has led to a concern that health maintenance organization-insured patients presenting with complaints of urethritis may be treated without being tested.

GOAL: To determine the proportion of men presenting with symptoms of urethritis who are tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

STUDY

DESIGN

Reviews were performed on 196 randomly selected patient records with an outpatient visit and a diagnostic code consistent with urethritis between 1995 and 1997. Data were collected on demographics, diagnostic testing, and treatment.

RESULTS

Diagnostic testing for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae was performed, respectively, in 92.3% and 83.2% of the men presenting at an initial visit with complaints of urethritis. Altogether, 98.2% of the patients who met the Centers for Disease Control criteria for documenting urethritis were tested for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae.

CONCLUSION

Diagnostic testing for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae is nearly universal in this multispecialty group practice setting, facilitating surveillance and public health efforts.