Title
Highlighting clinical need in diagnosing Mycoplasma genitalium infection: use of a modified Delphi approach to obtain a UK perspective

Ross. J, Fifer H, Muir P, Gwynn S, Horner P, Ison C, Nicholls J, Radliffe K, Taylor-Robinson D, White J

Introduction
Despite Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) being increasingly recognised as a genital pathogen in men and women, commercial testing has only recently become available. The opinion of sexual health clinicians and allied professionals was sought on how MG testing should be used. 
Methodology
32 consensus statements were developed by an expert group and circulated to clinicians and laboratory staff who were asked to evaluate their level of agreement with each statement; 75% agreement was set as the threshold for defining consensus for each statement. A modified Delphi approach was used and high levels of agreement obviated the need to test the original statement set further.
Results and Discussion
60 respondents returned questionnaires, most (48) being sexual health consultants. More than 10% of UK GUM consultants therefore responded. 27 (84.4%) of the statements exceeded the 75% threshold for consensus. Respondents strongly supported MG testing of patients with urethritis or PID, or unexplained persistent vaginal discharge, or post-coital bleeding. Fewer favoured testing patients with proctitis and support was divided for routinely testing chlamydia-positive patients. Testing sexual contacts of MG-positive patients was supported, as was a test of cure for MG-positive patients by most respondents, although agreement fell below the 75% threshold. Respondents agreed that all level 3 services should have access to testing for MG (98.3%).
Conclusion
There was strong agreement for having MG-testing available for specific patient groups, which may reflect concern over antibiotic resistance and the desire to comply with clinical guidelines that recommend MG testing in sexual health clinic settings.

Highlighting clinical need in diagnosing <i>Mycoplasma genitalium</i> infection: use of a modified Delphi approach to obtain a UK perspective

The Joint Annual Conference of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV & the Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Ireland