Getting from Here to There: Communicating Lessons Learned from Preparing an Evidence-based Individualized, Behavioral Intervention for Broader Diffusion

Issues: Translating and diffusing evidence-based, behavioral interventions continue to be critical in reducing HIV/STD risk behaviors. Because few evidence-based, brief, self-help behavioral interventions are currently being diffused, a brief, self-help, individualized, and technology-driven intervention for young women is currently being prepared for national diffusion. This presentation will focus on the unique opportunities and challenges presented by packaging such an intervention for agencies and health departments. Description: The intervention has been shown to increase condom use among women 18-24 years old who are at risk for HIV/STDs. In the current packaging project, participants are asked to complete a web-based survey about their sexual behaviors upon entering the program. Individually tailored HIV/STD prevention messages are generated by a software program based on the participant's data. Tailored and non-tailored prevention messages are combined to create a 12-page magazine that is delivered to the participant along with condoms, condom carrier, and letter. Three months after receiving the magazine, participants are contacted to complete a second survey, where responses are similarly processed to create a booster tri-fold newsletter. Lessons Learned: In translating this intervention, several opportunities, such as revising the prevention messages, field testing in diverse settings, and expanding the target population, were identified as part of making the original intervention more feasible for real-world settings. While feasibility and user-friendliness are imperative to translation, maintaining the scientific integrity of the intervention is most important. Recommendations: Several key lessons relevant to fidelity and feasibility will be shared, which will be vital to agencies implementing the intervention.