 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Amy Douglas, Norma Casas, and Terri L. Walsh, MPH. Research Division, California Family Health Council, Inc., 3600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90010, 213-386-5614, douglasa@cfhc.org
In 2001, California enacted legislation authorizing clinicians to prescribe or dispense therapy for the sex partners of chlamydia-infected patients. To assist family planning clinics develop this treatment strategy, the Infertility Prevention Project (IPP) of the California Family Health Council developed and tested a program of Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy for use in clinical practice. The program developed a take home treatment and information packet based on input from an ethnically diverse focus group of young adults aged 14-25.
The program was implemented at four clinics that invited all patients testing positive for chlamydia to participate. Over 100 consenting participants completed baseline questionnaires that collected information on demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, prior chlamydial infection, and the anticipated partner(s) reaction upon discovering need to be treated for chlamydia. All participants received a Partner Treatment Packet to give to their partner(s) which contained one dose of azithromycin, an information pamphlet and a Partner Home Questionnaire for their partner to complete and return by mail. Participants also took home a Patient Questionnaire to mail back. Both participants and partner(s) received incentives for returning questionnaires. Clinic staff involved with the program completed a questionnaire eliciting their opinions on how well the patient delivered treatment program worked. The program evaluation addressed (1) how comfortable it was for patients to deliver chlamydia treatment and information to their partner(s), (2) what proportion of Partner Treatment Packets actually resulted in the treatment of partner(s) and (3) the ease of understanding information and instructions contained in the packet.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.