Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in K-12 Public Schools.

To meet the educational needs of students, most schools in the United States (U.S.) reopened for in-person instruction during the 2021-2022 school year implementing a wide range of COVID-19 prevention strategies (e.g., mask requirements). To date, there have been limited studies examining facilitators and barriers to implementing each of the recommended COVID-19 prevention strategies in schools. Twenty-one semistructured interviews were conducted with public school staff from across the U.S. responsible for overseeing prevention strategy implementation. MAXQDA was used for thematic analysis. Findings identified key facilitators including utilizing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and district policies to guide decision-making at the school level, possessing financial resources to purchase supplies, identifying key staff for implementation, and having school health services infrastructure in place. Key barriers included staff shortages, limited resources, and community opposition. Findings from this study provide important insight into how schools can prepare for future public health emergencies.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy Among Family Planning Providers in the Southern United States: Bridging the Gap in Provider Training.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention intervention, but its access and use are suboptimal, especially for women. Healthcare providers provision of PrEP is a key component of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. Although training gaps are an identified barrier, evidence is lacking regarding how to tailor trainings for successful implementation. Title X family planning clinics deliver safety net care for women and are potential PrEP delivery sites. To inform provider training, we assessed PrEP knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy in the steps of PrEP care among Title X providers in the Southern United States. Methods: We used data from providers in clinics that did not currently provide PrEP from a web-based survey administered to Title X clinic staff in 18 Southern states from February to June 2018. We developed generalized linear mixed models to evaluate associations between provider-, clinic-, and county-level variables with provider knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy in PrEP care, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Results: Among 351 providers from 193 clinics, 194 (55%) were nonprescribing and 157 (45%) were prescribing providers. Provider ability to prescribe medications was significantly associated PrEP knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was lowest in the PrEP initiation step of PrEP care and was positively associated with PrEP attitudes, PrEP knowledge, and contraception self-efficacy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PrEP training gaps for family planning providers may be bridged by addressing unfavorable PrEP attitudes, integrating PrEP and contraception training, tailoring training by prescribing ability, and focusing on the initiation steps of PrEP care.

Primary Care and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Services in Publicly Funded Family Planning Clinics in the Southern United States.

BACKGROUND: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is underutilized by US women. Cost and resource concerns are barriers to PrEP delivery in settings that see men. Family planning clinics may be ideal PrEP delivery settings for women, but as they are not uniform in their clinical services, cost and resource concerns may vary. OBJECTIVE: We examined factors that influence perceptions of costs and resources related to PrEP delivery in Title X-funded family planning clinics in Southern states, which overlaps with high HIV-burden areas. DESIGN: We conducted a web-based survey among a convenience sample of clinicians and administrators of Title X clinics across 18 Southern states (DHHS regions III, IV, VI). We compared cost- and resource-related survey items and other clinic- and county-level variables between clinics by whether their clinics also provided other primary care services. We analyzed interviews for cost and resource themes. PARTICIPANTS: Title X clinic staff in the South. KEY RESULTS: Among 283 unique clinics, a greater proportion of clinics that also provided primary care currently provided PrEP compared with those that did not provide primary care (27.8% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.06), but this difference was not statistically significant. Among 414 respondents in clinics that were not providing PrEP, those in clinics with primary care services were more likely to respond that they had the necessary financial resources (p < 0.01) and staffing (p < 0.01) for PrEP implementation compared to those without primary care services. In interviews, respondents differed on concerns about costs of labs and staffing based on whether their clinic had concomitant primary care services or not. CONCLUSIONS: Among publicly funded Southern family planning clinics, current PrEP provision was higher among clinics with concomitant primary care. Among clinics not providing PrEP, those with concomitant primary care services have lower perceived cost and resource barriers and therefore may be optimal for expanding PrEP among women.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Integration Into Family Planning Services at Title X Clinics in the Southeastern United States: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Hybrid Type I Effectiveness Implementation Study (Phase 2 ATN 155).

BACKGROUND: Adolescent and young adult women (AYAW), particularly racial and ethnic minorities, in the Southern United States are disproportionately affected by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective, scalable, individual-controlled HIV prevention strategy that is grossly underutilized among women of all ages and requires innovative delivery approaches to optimize its benefit. Anchoring PrEP delivery to family planning (FP) services that AYAW already trust, access routinely, and deem useful for their sexual health may offer an ideal opportunity to reach women at risk for HIV and to enhance their PrEP uptake and adherence. However, PrEP has not been widely integrated into FP services, including Title X-funded FP clinics that provide safety net sources of care for AYAW. To overcome potential implementation challenges for AYAW, Title X clinics in the Southern United States are uniquely positioned to be focal sites for conceptually informed and thoroughly evaluated PrEP implementation science studies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is two-fold: to evaluate multilevel factors associated with the level of PrEP adoption and implementation (eg, PrEP screening, counseling, and prescription) within and across 3 FP clinics and to evaluate PrEP uptake, persistence, and adherence among female patients in these clinics over a 6-month follow-up period. METHODS: Phase 2 of Planning4PrEP (Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions 155) is a mixed methods hybrid type 1 effectiveness implementation study to be conducted in three clinics in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework, this study will prepare clinics for PrEP integration via clinic-wide trainings and technical assistance and will develop clinic-specific PrEP implementation plans. We will monitor and evaluate PrEP implementation as well as female patient PrEP uptake, persistence, and adherence over a 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS: Phase 2 of Planning4PrEP research activities began in February 2018 and are ongoing. Qualitative data analysis is scheduled to begin in Fall 2020. CONCLUSIONS: This study seeks to evaluate factors associated with the level of PrEP adoption and implementation (eg, PrEP screening, counseling, and prescription) within and across 3 FP clinics following training and implementation planning and to evaluate PrEP uptake, persistence, and adherence among female patients over a 6-month follow-up period. This will guide future strategies to support PrEP integration in Title X-funded clinics across the Southern United States. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04097834; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04097834. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/18784.

Brief Report: Impact of PrEP Training for Family Planning Providers on HIV Prevention Counseling and Patient Interest in PrEP in Atlanta, Georgia.

BACKGROUND: Safety net family planning (FP) clinics provide vital care for women in high HIV-burden areas and may be ideal pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery sites. Yet, many FP providers lack knowledge about PrEP. SETTING: Four safety net FP clinics in Atlanta, Georgia. METHODS: We provided a 1.5-hour PrEP informational training for 28 providers working in these sites. To assess the training's impact on PrEP counseling, we enrolled 500 female patients after training (47% ≤ 28 years; 69% black; 12% Hispanic) and determined their PrEP indication based on CDC guidelines. We conducted a postvisit survey to assess provider counseling and patients' interest in PrEP and acceptance of off-site PrEP referral. RESULTS: From pre-training to post-training, provider PrEP knowledge and confidence to identify women who may benefit from PrEP significantly increased. Only 19% of women knew about PrEP before the visit. Among 376 sexually active women, 29% had risk consistent with PrEP indication. Among PrEP-indicated women, 66% reported the provider discussed PrEP, 29% were interested in taking PrEP, but only 18% accepted off-site PrEP referral. Most (76%) were more willing to take PrEP if provided by the FP clinic. CONCLUSIONS: After a brief PrEP training, most women with HIV-risk indicators received PrEP counseling during their visits. Once counseled, women expressed interest if it were offered at the FP clinic rather than through off-site referral. Findings highlight the potential impact that PrEP capacity building within safety net FP clinics in high HIV-burden areas may have on PrEP scale-up for women.