Background & objectives: To describe partner notification practices for chlamydial infections among private sector clinicians.
Study design: Telephone interviews of clinicians and patients identified through public health case reports in Seattle-King County, August-October 1998.
Results: Clinicians reported advising 135 of 150 (90%) patients to notify their sex partners, but knew that all partners of only 26 (17%) patients received treatment. While 71 (57%) clinicians acknowledged ever providing medicine-to a patient to give to a partner, only 6 (4%) so treated a patient about whom they were interviewed. Most (87%) clinicians believed the health department should routinely contact all patients about partner notification. Almost all patients (72/76-95%) reported that their provider had advised them to notify their partners and 59 (78%) stated they did so. Most patients (11/17-65%) who did not notify all of their partners would have been willing to allow their clinician or the heath department to do it for them.
Conclusion: Private sector clinicians and their patients are generally unaware of chlamydial partner notification outcomes but are receptive to expanded partner notification services.