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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0AIDS and behavior

A Narrative Review of Remote Biospecimen Collection Product and Implementation Considerations for Sexual Health Clinical Research

  • Keith J. Horvath1
  • Sarah E. Rutstein2
  • Ryan P. Coyle3
  • Cheryl Jennings4
  • Rahim Z. Miller5,6
  • Justin Unternaher7,8
  • Kelly Bojan9
  • Grace M. Aldrovandi10
  • K. Rivet Amico11
  • Peter L. Anderson3
  • Nadia Dowshen12
  • Sybil Hosek9
2 more authors
  • Lisa Hightow-Weidman5
  • Mark A. Marzinke13
13 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychology, College of Sciences, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, USA
  2. 2Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
  3. 3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
  4. 4Department of Research Shared Services, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
  5. 5Institute on Digital Health and Innovation, College of Nursing, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
  6. 6Department of Pediatrics, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
  7. 7Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
  8. 8Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
  9. 9Department of Medicine, Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, University of Illinois, Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
  10. 10Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  11. 11Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
  12. 12Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
  13. 13Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Abstract

Remote biospecimen collection (RBSC), such as home-based HIV testing and self-collection of dried blood spots (DBS) to assess adherence to antiretroviral drug regimens, has become an important tool to support clinical research because it can facilitate participant reach, lower participant burden, and reduce discomfort with attending research visits in clinic spaces. RBSC is common in sexual health clinical intervention trials to assess the impact of an intervention or program on primary and secondary outcomes. However, the products and strategies employed to successfully implement RBSC can vary widely across studies. The purpose of this narrative review is twofold. First, to provide an overview of currently available RBSC products, their attributes, and their suitability for various clinical research applications. Considerations for blood-based and volumetric absorptive microsampling collection products, as well as self-administered sexually transmitted infection testing and other specimen types, are described. Second, RBSC implementation considerations at each stage of the collection process are discussed primarily from the perspective of the authors’ collective expertise and experience with RBSC in HIV prevention and treatment clinical research. Successful RBSC product selection and implementation require a multidisciplinary team approach that is participant-centered to achieve high return rates, and ample time should be allotted to address the complexities of the procedures and processes. This review of RBSC product and implementation considerations offers an actionable framework and roadmap when considering incorporation of RBSC into clinical trials research.

Trial registration: N/A.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{horvath2026narrative,
  title = {{A Narrative Review of Remote Biospecimen Collection Product and Implementation Considerations for Sexual Health Clinical Research}},
  author = {Keith J. Horvath and Sarah E. Rutstein and Ryan P. Coyle and Cheryl Jennings and Rahim Z. Miller and Justin Unternaher and Kelly Bojan and Grace M. Aldrovandi and K. Rivet Amico and Peter L. Anderson and Nadia Dowshen and Sybil Hosek and Lisa Hightow-Weidman and Mark A. Marzinke},
  journal = {AIDS and behavior},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.1007/s10461-026-05155-w},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-026-05155-w},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - A Narrative Review of Remote Biospecimen Collection Product and Implementation Considerations for Sexual Health Clinical Research
AU  - Keith J. Horvath
AU  - Sarah E. Rutstein
AU  - Ryan P. Coyle
AU  - Cheryl Jennings
AU  - Rahim Z. Miller
AU  - Justin Unternaher
AU  - Kelly Bojan
AU  - Grace M. Aldrovandi
AU  - K. Rivet Amico
AU  - Peter L. Anderson
AU  - Nadia Dowshen
AU  - Sybil Hosek
AU  - Lisa Hightow-Weidman
AU  - Mark A. Marzinke
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/26
JO  - AIDS and behavior
DO  - 10.1007/s10461-026-05155-w
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-026-05155-w
AB  - Remote biospecimen collection (RBSC), such as home-based HIV testing and self-collection of dried blood spots (DBS) to assess adherence to antiretroviral drug regimens, has become an important tool to support clinical research because it can facilitate participant reach, lower participant burden, and reduce discomfort with attending research visits in clinic spaces. RBSC is common in sexual health clinical intervention trials to assess the impact of an intervention or program on primary and secondary outcomes. However, the products and strategies employed to successfully implement RBSC can vary widely across studies. The purpose of this narrative review is twofold. First, to provide an overview of currently available RBSC products, their attributes, and their suitability for various clinical research applications. Considerations for blood-based and volumetric absorptive microsampling collection products, as well as self-administered sexually transmitted infection testing and other specimen types, are described. Second, RBSC implementation considerations at each stage of the collection process are discussed primarily from the perspective of the authors’ collective expertise and experience with RBSC in HIV prevention and treatment clinical research. Successful RBSC product selection and implementation require a multidisciplinary team approach that is participant-centered to achieve high return rates, and ample time should be allotted to address the complexities of the procedures and processes. This review of RBSC product and implementation considerations offers an actionable framework and roadmap when considering incorporation of RBSC into clinical trials research.  Trial registration: N/A.
SN  - 1090-7165
SN  - 1573-3254
ER  -