Bridging the gap between the science and service of HIV prevention: transferring effective research-based HIV prevention interventions to community AIDS service providers

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 90; no. 7; pp. 1082 - 1088
• Main Authors: Kelly, JA, Somlai, AM, DiFranceisco, WJ, Otto-Salaj, LL, McAuliffe, TL, Hackl, KL, Heckman, TG, Holtgrave, DR, Rompa, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.07.2000; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Diffusion of Innovation; Disease prevention; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Planning Technical Assistance - organization & administration; HIV; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Inservice Training; Male; Manuals as Topic; Medical sciences; Prevention; Prevention programs; Preventive Health Services - methods; Preventive programmes; Providers; Public health; Services; Statistics, Nonparametric; Transfer; United States; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; United States; North America; America; Human; Immunopathology; Evaluation; Retroviridae; AIDS; Operation; Health education; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; Prevention; Viral disease; Human immunodeficiency virus; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.90.7.1082

AIDS service organizations (ASOs) rarely have access to the information needed to implement research-based HIV prevention interventions for their clients. We compared the effectiveness of 3 dissemination strategies for transferring HIV prevention models from the research arena to community providers of HIV prevention services. Interviews were conducted with the directors of 74 ASOs to assess current HIV prevention services. ASOs were randomized to programs that provided (1) technical assistance manuals describing how to implement research-based HIV prevention interventions, (2) manuals plus a staff training workshop on how to conduct the implementation, or (3) manuals, the training workshop, and follow-up telephone consultation calls. Follow-up interviews determined whether the intervention model had been adopted. The dissemination package that provided ASOs with implementation manuals, staff training workshops, and follow-up consultation resulted in more frequent adoption and use of the research-based HIV prevention intervention for gay men, women, and other client populations. Strategies are needed to quickly transfer research-based HIV prevention methods to community providers of HIV prevention services. Active collaboration between researchers and service agencies results in more successful program adoption than distribution of implementation packages alone.