Multi-method approach to identify areas of high need and impact with limited resources

In an effort to inform HIV/AIDS policy and program, a national HIV nonprofit developed a multi-method approach for targeting limited resources to areas of high need and impact by using novel methods of public data comparison and geospatial mapping. Seven summary measures incorporating HIV and broader health data were selected from publicly available data. These measures include; minority populations living with HIV/AIDS, unmet need, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, literacy, race, and education. These measures were ranked to provide a list of states of high impact. Furthermore, geospatial mapping of care sites overlaid with county level HIV prevalence data was used to mine down to determine need in specific geographic locations. States identified as high impact were California, Illinois, Texas, New York, as well as the District of Columbia. Lowest impact states included Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and Maine. Geospatial mapping at the county level using ArcGIS and point data of community health centers and HIV service delivery sites was effective in finding delivery sites in high need jurisdictions. These methods were successful for targeting areas of high impact and need. In addition to these methods, mapping was also done on data related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Using these methods provides targets to maximize limited funding and resources. Incorporating broader health data allows improved alignment with the social determinants of health when defining impact. Geospatial mapping allows data visualization by geography that was essential for targeting high need areas.