Table 3

Summary of hypothetical interventions

Author(s) country	Participants, design, infections	Study aim	Digital PN intervention	Outcomes measured
Author(s) country	Participants, design, infections	Study aim	Digital PN intervention	Partners notified	Partners tested	Partners treated	Acceptability	Prototype preferences	Other
Carnicer-Pont et al 15 Spain	N=1337 MSM Quantitative descriptive study Survey Multiple STIs/HIV	Describe current PN practices and assess the intention to use new information and communication technologies for notifying partners of STIs/HIV	Hypothetical web application	✓			✓ *	✓
Clark et al 16 Peru	N=397 MSM and TGW with a partner diagnosed with syphilis, genital herpes, genital ulcer disease, proctitis and/or urethritis in the last 30 days Quantitative descriptive study Survey Multiple STIs including HIV	Assess acceptability of internet PN interventions in MSM and TGW who'd recently been diagnosed with an STI	Internet				✓*
Contesse et al 35 USA35	N=28 Cisgender MSM who have used GSN apps to meet a partner in the last 12 months Qualitative Four focus groups Multiple STIs including HIV	Examine how MSM use GNS apps and their perspective regarding delivery of HIV/STI PN and health services through these apps	GSN app				✓†	✓
Contesse et al 17 USA	N=791 MSM who have met a partner on a GSN app in the last year Quantitative descriptive study Online survey Multiple STIs including HIV	Understand attitudes toward app-based PN, health department presence and sexual health services help inform delivery and development of GSN app	GSN app	✓			✓†	✓
Gkatzidou et al 36 UK	N=49 16–24 years old who own a mobile phone Qualitative study Nine focus groups Chlamydia	Understand the requirements and acceptability of an eSTI mobile application	Mobile app Self-testing Results Access to treatment PN					✓
John et al 18 USA	N=786 Gay and bisexual men who self-tested HIV negative Quantitative descriptive study Survey Multiple bacterial STIs including HIV	Determine willingness to use HIV self-testing (HIVST), use PDPT and to use GSN app PN after a hypothetical bacterial STI diagnosis	GSN app				✓†
Kutner et al 40 USA	N=59 HIV negative MSM and TGW with concurrent sexual partners with three or more episodes of condomless anal sex in the last three months Mixed-methods Survey and interview HIV and syphilis infections	Explore the interest in disclosing test results through a smartphone app dedicated to self- and partner testing for HIV/syphilis	Smartphone app Partner screening Sharing of results				✓*	✓
Lessard et al 37 France	N=40 21 PrEP users 10 community mediators 5 PrEP prescribers 4 HIV/STI management decision-makers Qualitative Focus groups and interviews Multiple STIs including HIV	Describe stakeholders' perspectives on the acceptability of a digital smartphone STI PN tool (WeFLASH)	Smartphone app ‘WeFLASH’ STI screening reminders Automatic anonymous PN (with connected app users)				✓‡	✓	HCP and decision-maker perspective
Mokgatle and Madiba19 South Africa	N=722 Minibus taxi drivers Quantitative descriptive study Survey Multiple STIs including HIV	Assess the perceived use of patient-initiated PN by using referral slips and measure the level of acceptability of provider-initiated PN by using SMS to the personal mobile phones of sexual partners	SMS				✓*

*Index patient perspective.
†Both Index patient and partner perspectives.
‡HCP/decision-maker perspective.
§Reports on positive cases or number of partners with unknown status.
GSN, geosocial networking; HCP, healthcare professional; HIVST, HIV self-testing; MSM, men who have sex with men; NCSP, National Chlamydia Screening Program; PDPT, patient delivered partner therapy; PN, partner notification; PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis; SMS, short message service; STIs, sexually transmitted infections; TGW, transgender women.