Comparison 1. Enhanced patient referral versus simple patient referral.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Re‐infection in index patient	6		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
1.1 Home sampling vs. simple patient referral	1	220	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	2.14 [0.91, 5.05]
1.2 Information booklet vs. simple patient referral	2	942	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.55 [0.22, 1.33]
1.3 Patient referral (DIS/health advisor) vs. patient referral (nurse)	1	140	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.35 [0.01, 8.51]
1.4 Disease‐specific website vs. simple referral	1	105	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	3.12 [0.17, 58.73]
1.5 Additional counselling vs. simple patient referral	1	600	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	0.49 [0.27, 0.89]
2 Number of partners elicited	11		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
2.1 Home sampling vs. patient referral	3	516	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐0.01 [‐0.19, 0.18]
2.2 Additional counselling vs. patient referral	3	4108	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.23 [0.03, 0.43]
2.3 Patient referral (DIS) vs. patient referral (nurse)	2	597	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐0.40 [‐0.57, ‐0.24]
2.4 Information booklet vs. patient referral	1	633	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.0 [‐0.22, 0.22]
2.5 Disease‐specific website vs. patient referral	2	140	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐0.15 [‐0.72, 0.42]
3 Number of partners notified	5	1236	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.07 [‐0.06, 0.20]
3.1 Home sampling vs. patient referral	2	782	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.01 [‐0.12, 0.14]
3.2 Additional counselling vs. patient referral	1	272	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.21 [0.06, 0.36]
3.3 Disease‐specific website vs. patient referral	1	105	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐0.17 [‐0.68, 0.34]
3.4 Videotape vs. patient referral	1	77	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
4 Number of partners presenting for care	4		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	Totals not selected
4.1 Home sampling vs. patient referral	3		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
4.2 Additional counselling vs. patient referral	1		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.0 [0.0, 0.0]
5 Number of partners testing positive	5		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
5.1 Home sampling vs. patient referral	3	878	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.11 [0.05, 0.17]
5.2 Additional counselling vs. patient referral	1	1266	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.01 [‐0.05, 0.07]
5.3 Patient referral (DIS) vs. patient referral (nurse)	1	457	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	0.0 [‐0.03, 0.03]
6 Number of partners treated	6		Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	Totals not selected