242068 Expedited Partner Treatment:Implementation Resources, Research, and Some Just-In-Time Assistance

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 4:50 PM

Richard Goldsworthy, MSEd, PhD , Academic Edge, Inc., Bloomington, IN
J. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS , Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Matthew Hogben, PhD , CDC and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Kimberly McBride, PhD, MA , Section of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
     
Issues: In expedited partner treatment (EPT), patients testing positive for bacteriological STD deliver prescription medication or a prescription to sexual partners. EPT is permissible in an increasing number of states; however, implementation lags significantly behind permissibility and is often inconsistent within and across jurisdictions. With no mandated implementation across the U.S., treatable infections, treatment, messaging, and targeted populations vary from state-to-state.

Description: Baseline patient and partner information guides, animated segments, and a web-based portal have been produced. However, because implementation protocols and legislatively mandated messages vary widely by jurisdiction, tailored materials are often needed to ensure alignment with particular jurisdiction needs. Through a CDC-supported effort, the researchers have used an iterative development methodology to assist multiple public health agencies to develop localized informational materials. Video-based implementation examples have also been produced.

Lessons Learned: When unmandated national recommendations are disseminated, standardized materials may not be feasible; however, developing localized materials from a validated baseline may be the next best alternative, especially when coupled with increasing availability of those materials as templates for others. Tailorization can be greatly sped up if all stakeholders participate directly throughout development. Significant changes during tailorization suggest the need to revalidate with target populations, a need not always able to be met.

Recommendations: Significant EPT implementation resources now exist and can be tailored to individual implementation settings. Public health agencies interested in the freely available materials should visit partnercare.org. The presentation will demonstrate the resources, discuss underlying research, uses, and next steps.

Funded in part by CDC/NCHHSTP#200-2008-28140.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control

Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to: Describe EPT, PDPT, and PartnerCare and identify common adoption and implementation issues List 5 common barriers to patient and partner adoption of partnercare (ept) Describe several grant-funded, free, resources developed to support EPT implementation, including videos, animation segments, and patient and partner informational brochures Describe how several state and city public health agencies are developing and rolling out partnercare materials Describe how to contact the research team for further materials development technical assistance, at no charge during the grant period

Keywords: STD, Health Care Delivery

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I serve as the principle investigator for this multi-year, CDC-funded effort and have 15+ years experience as a researcher in public health, education, and instructional design including large scale efforts targeting STD prevention and treatment, suicide prevention, conflict resolution, and drug and substance use and abuse.
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.

See more of: Global Success & Challenges in HIV/AIDS Research
See more of: HIV/AIDS