The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68588

Loriena Yancura, MA, Valorie Eckert, MPH, and Steven R. Truax, PhD. HIV Prevention Research and Evaluation Section, California Dept. of Health Services, Office of AIDS, 611 North 7th Street, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95814-0208, (916) 445-6398, lyancura@dhs.ca.gov

Feedback from users and service providers is essential for the development of effective public health programs. Such feedback is most valuable if it is integrated with other data on client and counselor characteristics. This presentation describes the use of the HIV Counseling Information System (HIV5) and the HIV Information Processing System (HIPS) to evaluate client and counselor satisfaction at state-funded HIV counseling and testing sites in California.

A 44-item client satisfaction questionnaire was distributed to 207 testing sites selected according to reports generated by the HIV5 system and demographic characteristics. Questionnaire data was entered directly into a data collection screen in the HIV5 system designed for special surveys by the test sites. The State Office of AIDS matched individual client satisfaction data with counseling and testing data to deliver site- and state-level reports on service quality and information consistency.

An 18-item counselor satisfaction survey was distributed to 900 counselors identified through the HIV Information Processing System (HIPS) as having counseled at least 20 sessions. The survey characterizes the active HIV counselor population while assessing counseling needs and level of job satisfaction. HIPS allowed us to maximize efficiency by surveying only experienced counselors for productive knowledge-based information.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify ways in which data collection systems may be used to obtain program information and describe how information on clients and counselors may be used together to create maximally effective HIV prevention programs.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Data Collection

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: California Dept. of Health Services, Office of AIDS
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.