Table 2.

Reported HIV testing errors and factors potentially related to misdiagnosis

Category	No. of Studies
Incorrect/suboptimal testing strategy or algorithm (e.g. testing strategies not aligned to the World Health Organizationrecommendations, such as a tiebreaker or parallel testing strategies, use of a single RDT to make an HIV-positivediagnosis)	37
User error (e.g. errors performing RDT or interpreting results, misapplication of buffer, inaccurate reading time and otherhuman errors)	25
Poor or inadequate management and supervision (e.g. work load stress, staff shortages, lack of training, poor adherenceto testing strategy or testing algorithm, substandard operating procedures, testing in window period)	21
Other factors (e.g. acute infection, cross-reactivity, known HIV status/on ART)	18
Clerical/technical errors (e.g. mislabelling, poor record-keeping and clerical mistakes)	16
Weak reactive test results (e.g. faint or ghost lines appearing on test strip)	14

RDT: rapid diagnostic test; ART: antiretroviral therapy.

Table includes 63 reporting studies. One study (Bile et al. 2017) did not report a specific factor or error related to misdiagnosis. Some studies reported multiple factors related to poor quality testing and factors that could be related to potential misdiagnosis.