{
  "abstract": "Objective To explore and understand the disease priorities and preferences for rapid diagnostic testings (RDTs) among community members and stakeholders.Design Qualitative study using focused group discussions and in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to identify themes of disease priorities and RDT preferences.Setting uMsunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Participants 49 community members and five community stakeholders were recruited through a combination of convenience and purposeful sampling using community events and meetings.Results Participants prioritised both communicable diseases (HIV, tuberculosis) and non-communicable diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer), aligning with national health priorities. They supported RDTs for early diagnosis and home-based testing to mitigate barriers to accessing diagnostic care. A need for post-test support, such as digital support tools, was also highlighted.Conclusion Community perspectives highlighted a demand for accessible, rapid and decentralised diagnostic tools for high-burden diseases in KwaZulu-Natal. RDTs have the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities through improved access to diagnostic healthcare services. The community members are potential end users of RDTs, especially in resource-constrained settings. Therefore, their perspectives should be considered in the development and implementation of RDTs to enhance acceptability and public health impact.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Community Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Thandanani Madonsela"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Community Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Lenika Naiken"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia"
      ],
      "name": "Chanda Prudence Mwamba"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia"
      ],
      "name": "Anjali Sharma"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Environmental Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia"
      ],
      "name": "Patricia Maritim"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Community Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Ayanda Tshazi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Meagan Bemer"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Amber Lauff"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Jennifer F Morton"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Community Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa",
        "SYNAPSE Research Collective, Wits Health Consortium, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Alastair van Heerden"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Community Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa",
        "Department of Psychology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa",
        "Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT), Cape Town, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Hilton Humphries"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Epidemilogy, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA",
        "International Clinical Research Center, Deaprtment of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA",
        "School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Paul K Drain"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [],
      "name": "the DASH 1 study team"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Disease priorities and rapid diagnostics testing preferences among community members in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a formative qualitative study",
  "uid": "a46c3ff0-e6fc-5809-8520-ed64d847886d"
}