Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116834

Jeffrey T. Bernstein, MS¹, Nancy Berman Lees, PhD², Shanna Livermore, BS³, Kevin D. Sitter, MSW MPH², and Steven R. Truax, PhD³. (1) California Technical Assistance Program, UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, 74 New Montgomery, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 597-9210, JBERNSTEIN@desertaidsproject.org, (2) Office of AIDS, California Department of Health Services, MS 7700 P.O. Box 997426, Sacramento, CA 95899-7426, (3) HIV Prevention Research and Evaluation Section, California Dept. of Health Services, Office of AIDS, 611 North 7th Street, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95814-0208

Issues: Currently there is an increased emphasis on the utilization of evidence-based intervention in the field of HIV prevention. Many challenges and successes have been identified in California as agencies attempt to implement the appropriate interventions to maximize the effectiveness of prevention efforts.

Description: Technical Assistance (TA) providers have conducted site visits to local health departments and community based organizations (CBOs) in association with a new statewide web-based evaluation system. The site visits have provided agencies an opportunity to review their HIV interventions. Between July 2003 and January 2005 over 25 health jurisdictions, comprising of over 70 agencies have received TA site visits. TA also includes assistance in articulating interventions in the agencies scopes of work and evaluation plan within the parameters of state and federal guidelines.

Lessons Learned: Choosing the appropriate intervention at a county and local agency level can be challenging. The California State Office of AIDS in collaboration with multiple stakeholders has developed the HIV Intervention Enhancement Project (HIEP). The project aims at assisting local health departments and CBOs select, adapt, and/or adopt the appropriate evidence based intervention to effectively reach members of their community at highest risk for HIV transmission. The project includes a web-based resource directory of evidence based and “promising” interventions, as well as tools in community planning and formative research.

Recommendations: The recognition that assistance is needed as agencies move toward using evidence based intervention is paramount. Issues including agency feasibility, adequate resources, staff training and TA will need to be considered.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)Describe case studies in which evidence based interventions are selected by agencies with diverse high-risk populations.
• 2)Identify specific challenges and successes in adapting and adopting evidence based interventions.
• 3)Apply lessons learned in reflecting interventions in scopes of works and evaluation plans.

Keywords: HIV Interventions, Evidence Based Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation