The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64369

Mari-Lynn Drainoni, PhD¹, Carol Tobias, MMHS¹, Serena Rajabiun, MPH¹, Vivana Abuchar, MSW¹, Karin Haberlin, MA¹, Irene Shui, MPH¹, and Moses B. Pounds, PhD². (1) School of Public Health, Medicaid Working Group, Boston University, 374 Congress St. Suite 502, Boston, MA 02210, 617-426-4447, drainoni@bu.edu, (2) Health Resources & Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Department of Health & Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm 7C07, Rockville, MD 20857

Early diagnosis of HIV and enhanced access to HIV medical care for persons infected with --or at high risk for-- HIV infection can prolong life and enhance quality of life. However, because of a wide range of social, cultural and organizational factors, marginalized and vulnerable people living with HIV often have competing priorities and comorbid conditions, and are not engaged in optimal medical care. One strategy used to engage and retain these populations in care is outreach. In 2001 HRSA/SPNS funded seventeen projects and an evaluation center to develop a range of different outreach interventions and examine their effectiveness. The o projects offer services to persons who may or may not know their HIV status and are not engaged in care. The outreach interventions within these projects include a broad range of proactive outreach strategies in street settings, clinics, community-based organizations, prisons and single room occupancy hotels. In this presentation we will describe the different outreach initiatives and the theoretical basis for the intervention strategies. Indicators, measures and preliminary results from the initial two years of this five-year intervention will be discussed. Conclusions: Client-centered and integrated outreach strategies can be effective tools to improve access to medical care and optimize service use by turning sporadic HIV service users into regular users and to bring into HIV primary care people who may or may not know their HIV status.

Learning Objectives:

• Learning Objectives
• 1.Understand the rationale for the innovative outreach strategies being used to bring people living with HIV into HIV primary care and keep them engaged in that care;
• 2.Be able to identify the types of HIV outreach strategies used;
• 3.Be able to identify the theoretical models underlying outreach interventions.
• 4.Be able to identify important indicators and measures of success.

Keywords: Outreach Programs, HRSA

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Project is funded by HRSA/SPNS.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.