222671 Enhancing Linkages to HIV care for HIV-positive jail inmates: Multisite evaluation findings

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Cristina A. Booker, MPH , Domestic Health Division, Abt Associates Inc., Cambridge, MA
Sarah Ball, ScD, MPH , Domestic Health Division, Abt Associates Inc., Cambridge, MA
Meredith Pustell, BA , Domestic Health Division, Abt Associates Inc., Cambridge, MA
Kimberly Jacob Arriola, PhD, MPH , Behavioral Science and Health Education, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
Shalonda Freeman, PhD , Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Liza Solomon, MHS, DrPH , Domestic Health Division, Abt Associates Inc., Bethesda, MD
Anne C. Spaulding, MD, MPH , Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
     
Issues: The Enhancing Linkages to HIV Primary Care and Services in Jail Settings Initiative was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Special Projects of National Significance Program to implement innovative HIV testing and linkage to care programs for jail detainees and releasees. This session will present multisite evaluation findings from 10 projects and describe the challenges and importance of linking HIV-positive individuals to care.

Description: Demonstration projects developed strategies to enhance linkages to primary care and other services in jails and the community. These strategies include case management and support services designed to maintain continuity of HIV care in jail and community settings. To assess linkages, sites collect longitudinal client data upon enrollment and 30 days and 6 months post-release.

Lessons Learned: To date, 564 individuals enrolled in the multisite evaluation. Approximately 65% are male and 60% are African American. Follow-up data from enrollment to 30 days post-release are available for 207 releasees. Approximately 11% (n=23) were reincarcerated during this period. On the 30th day post-release, 74% were stably housed. Initial contacts to community HIV providers were made for 82% (n=170) of releasees and 67% (n=138) met with their HIV provider. Over half (55%) of releasees attended their first appointment with case managers.

Recommendations: This project continues to evaluate the intensity of linkages, and assess clients' clinical outcomes and health status. Final evaluation findings will be disseminated to correctional administrators, HIV policy makers, and broader public health stakeholders to help identify and promote best practices in service linkage.

Learning Areas:
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
1. To analyze the extent to which the demonstration projects are linking the target population to HIV primary care for the Enhancing Linkages to HIV Primary Care and Services in Jail Settings Initiative; 2. To discuss the challenges to engaging jail inmates in linkages to care; 3. To describe 3 or more approaches to link HIV-positive jail inmates to care.

Keywords: Jails and Prisons, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I oversee the data management and analysis of the Enhancing Linkages multisite evaluation
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4099.0: HIV Testing and Linkage to HIV Treatment and Care in Jail Settings