Area 6 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Office

County Health Department
Follow-up Services

With physician approval, county health department staff will offer follow-up services to newly diagnosed HIV infected patients. Follow-up services encourage HIV infected individuals to access early intervention therapies; provide important referrals to medical and social services; and prevent further transmission of HIV.

• Follow-up services include, but are not limited to:
  o Post-test counseling for individuals not returning for test results
  o Patient education/counseling
  o Appropriate medical and social service referrals
  o Linkages to community support groups
  o Case management services
  o Voluntary partner elicitation and notification services.

If the physician, in consultation with the patient, determines that the county health department should contact their patient, they should ask the patient when, where and how to contact them and verify the patient's correct address and telephone number. A patient would never be offered follow-up services without the consent of their physician or documented need of services.