TY  - JOUR
AU  - Torres-Slimming, Paola A
AU  - Carcamo, Cesar
AU  - Martínez-Pérez, Guillermo Z
AU  - Mallma, Patricia
AU  - Pflucker, Cristina
AU  - Shilton, Sonjelle
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/3/17
TI  - Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Detection Self-Tests to Increase COVID-19 Case Detection in Peru: Qualitative Study
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e43183
VL  - 7
KW  - Peru, COVID-19
KW  - self-testing
KW  - diagnostics
KW  - qualitative research
KW  - testing
KW  - virus
KW  - detection
KW  - health
KW  - decision-making
KW  - public
KW  - willingness
KW  - health system
AB  - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Peru, overwhelming their health systems. Rapid antigen detection self-tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have been proposed as a portable, safe, affordable, and easy-to-perform approach to improve early detection and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in resource-constrained populations where there are gaps in access to health care. Objective: This study aims to explore decision makers’ values and attitudes around SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. Methods: In 2021, we conducted a qualitative study in 2 areas of Peru (urban Lima and rural Valle del Mantaro). Purposive sampling was used to identify representatives of civil society groups (RSCs), health care workers (HCWs), and potential implementers (PIs) to act as informants whose voices would provide a proxy for the public’s attitudes around self-testing. Results: In total, 30 informants participated in individual, semistructured interviews (SSIs) and 29 informants participated in 5 focus group discussions (FGDs). Self-tests were considered to represent an approach to increase access to testing that both the rural and urban public in Peru would accept. Results showed that the public would prefer saliva-based self-tests and would prefer to access them in their community pharmacies. In addition, information about how to perform a self-test should be clear for each population subgroup in Peru. The tests should be of high quality and low cost. Health-informed communication strategies must also accompany any introduction of self-testing. Conclusions: In Peru, decision makers consider that the public would be willing to accept SARS-CoV-2 self-tests if they are accurate, safe to use, easily available, and affordable. Adequate information about the self-tests’ features and instructions, as well as about postuse access to counseling and care, must be made available through the Ministry of Health in Peru. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e43183
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/43183
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36867689
DO  - 10.2196/43183
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/43183
ER  -