Pharmacy Intervention to Improve HIV Testing Uptake Using a Comprehensive Health Screening Approach.

OBJECTIVE: HIV testing is increasingly available, yet barriers to HIV testing persist for low-income black and Latino people, especially those who use illicit drugs. HIV exceptionalism, or the idea that a positive HIV diagnosis is drastically different from a diagnosis for any other disease, may influence HIV testing-related stigma, resulting in reduced willingness to undergo HIV testing. This pharmacy-based intervention combined HIV testing with less stigmatized chronic disease screening tests (e.g., blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol) to equate the concept of an HIV diagnosis with other diagnoses. METHODS: Three pharmacies located in low-income, minority neighborhoods in New York City were enrolled in an intervention to provide (1) HIV testing, chronic disease screening, and a healthy lifestyles video that normalized all screening tests and destigmatized HIV as a fatal disease (comprehensive arm); (2) HIV testing and the video (video arm); and (3) HIV testing only (control arm). Injection drug users (IDUs) and pharmacy staff recruited un- and underinsured pharmacy customers, IDUs, and IDU peers from 2010 to 2012. Participants in the control group were compared with those in the comprehensive and video intervention groups. RESULTS: Participants in the comprehensive arm (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03, 2.49, p=0.08) and the video arm (PR=1.59, 95% CI 1.00, 2.53, p=0.09) were marginally significantly more likely to receive an HIV test in the pharmacy compared with those in the control arm after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that adoption of strategies that destigmatize and normalize HIV testing can improve uptake. Implementation of this strategy in low-access, minority communities with high HIV prevalence and among high-risk populations may help reduce racial/ethnic disparities in HIV.

Ebola active monitoring system for travelers returning from West Africa­Georgia, 2014-2015.

The Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic in West Africa has so far produced approximately 25,000 cases, more than 40 times the number in any previously documented Ebola outbreak. Because of the risk for imported disease from infected travelers, in October 2014 CDC recommended that all travelers to the United States from Ebola-affected countries receive enhanced entry screening and postarrival active monitoring for Ebola signs or symptoms until 21 days after their departure from an Ebola-affected country. The state of Georgia began its active monitoring program on October 25, 2014. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) modified its existing, web-based electronic notifiable disease reporting system to create an Ebola Active Monitoring System (EAMS). DPH staff members developed EAMS from conceptualization to implementation in 6 days. In accordance with CDC recommendations, "low (but not zero) risk" travelers are required to report their daily health status to DPH, and the EAMS dashboard enables DPH epidemiologists to track symptoms and compliance with active monitoring. Through March 31, 2015, DPH monitored 1,070 travelers, and 699 (65%) used their EAMS traveler login instead of telephone or e-mail to report their health status. Medical evaluations were performed on 30 travelers, of whom three were tested for Ebola. EAMS has enabled two epidemiologists to monitor approximately 100 travelers daily, and to rapidly respond to travelers reporting signs and symptoms of potential Ebola virus infection. Similar electronic tracking systems might be useful for other jurisdictions.