Evaluation of CDC Recommendations for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Jails The purpose of this evaluation is to determine to what extent the CDC guidelines have been implemented in jails to identify barriers for implementation of the recommendations. Geo-Analysis of HIV Prevention This project will build on the knowledge gained from the previous studies to provide a multi-level, geo-references review of CDC-funded, Community Based Organization (CBO) -provided HIV prevention services. The purposes of the project are: (1) to contribute to the construction of a national database of HIV prevention activities by developing a geo-coded database that identifies, locates and maps all CBOs directly and indirectly funded by CDC in the US and its territories, and (2) to evaluate the comprehensiveness of HIV Prevention services in seven geographic areas by piloting, in one state or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the use of GIS technology as the primary analytical tool. A telephone survey will be conducted. Health Care Adherence: TB Skin Testing This study is being conducted to determine why health care workers comply or do not comply with recommended tuberculin skin testing and treatment for lateen tuberculosis infection policies and guidelines. It is expected that this study will provide a knowledge base for which products can be developed to improve adherence. Know Now Campaign This study will be used to evaluate the media components of the Serostatus Approach for Fighting the Epidemic (SAFE) project. A project to increase the number of people who know their HIV status and to promote the entry of those infected with HIV into a system of care. The proposed evaluation will contribute to the general understanding of how well targeting through marketing clusters can be implemented for prevention marketing campaigns and may lead to ways to improve CDC prevention marketing for the SAFE project and behavior-related diseases. Survey of Syphilis and HIV Treatment, Reporting The purpose of this project is to conduct a survey of a sample of physicians' diagnosis, treatment, reporting and partner management practices for syphilis and HIV infection. The study will determine when, under what conditions, for which diseases, how and for which patients, practitioners notify and/or treat the sexual partners of patients who are diagnosed with syphilis and HIV infection. Evaluation of Expanding Pharmaceutical Data- NHDS The purpose of the project is to evaluate the collection of pharmaceutical data similar to data collected in the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey (NHMACS) for discharges sampled in the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS). Activities will include evaluation of methods currently employed in NHAMCS; evaluation of potential sources and methods to collect pharmaceutical data for inpatients as part of the NHDS if NHAMCS methodology is not transportable; evaluate and describe similarities and differences between drug data collected in hospitals and in the NHAMCS; develop a plan for field testing two methods to collect pharmaceutical data as part of the NHDS; develop or modify NHDS forms, procedures and manuals for a field test to collect these pharmaceutical data and, develop training materials for the field test. Assessment of Core Public Health Surveillance and Response Capacity for Addressing Food Borne Diseases, Bioterrorism, and Other Infectious Threats The purpose of this project is to begin the process of developing a consensus definition of core capacities for infectious disease surveillance starting with public health laboratories. A contractor will be hired to develop and pilot test a methodology for assessing necessary public health laboratory capacities and capabilities for select infectious diseases. For the purposes of this proposal, capacity refers to the output of testing or services accomplished over a defined time period; capability refers to a specific activity that will ensure the laboratory's success in conducting infectious disease surveillance. Evaluation of PICARD Software The goal of this evaluation is to determine: usefulness and user friendliness; feasibility of using Preventable Injuries Costs and Related Deaths (PICARD) software to generate state data on preventable injury and associated costs by states; if the use of PICARD contributes to the formation of new bicycle helmet promotion programs, policies and laws; and if the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control should develop additional PICARD modules for other priority injury prevention topics. Links Among Different Forms of Adolescent Violence The purpose of this project is to prepare a literature review, protocol and data collection instruments for a subsequent survey on sexual, physical and non-physical aggression among same-sex and opposite-sex adolescent peers. This project will provide a description of a) prevalence, correlates and consequences of different types of aggressive behaviors used by adolescent males and females; b) the association between dating violence and other forms of peer violence; and c) how these guide efforts to develop prevention strategies that address peer and dating violence. Role of Power and Control in Intimate Partner Violence The purpose of this project is to conduct an exhaustive literature review of theoretical and empirical work addressing the role of power and control in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. IPV includes physical, sexual and psychological violence. The project seeks to identify how power and control is conceptualized, operationalized and measured. The project will also identify battering measurement instruments and batterer intervention programs, develop a relationship between power and control and their contribution to the perpetration of IPV. Findings from this study will guide prevention and intervention activities that address IPV perpetration. A telephone survey will be conducted. Second Injury Control and Risk Survey (ICARIS-2) This project is a follow-up study to the first ICARIS (Injury Control and Risk Survey) conducted in 1994. By using data collected in ICARIS as a baseline, ICARIS-2 can measure changes and gauge the impact of injury prevention policies. It will also serve as the only readily available source of data to measure several of the Healthy People 2010 injury prevention objectives. Evaluation of Provider Distribution of Flu Vaccine The purpose of this project is to evaluate whether providers adhered to public health service recommendations regarding modification of vaccination practices and to assess the use of vaccine ordered from the nine million doses. More generally, the project will assess influenza vaccination practices of public and private health care providers in the U.S. in order to develop strategies to improve vaccination coverage of persons who are at risk for influenza-related medical complications and their contacts. Evaluation of Standing Orders in Nursing Homes The purpose of this evaluation is to identify the costs of implementing standing orders programs and their components compared to other organized immunization programs in long term care facilities (LTC) and, subsequently, to determine the cost-effectiveness of such programs and their components. This evaluation will require two phases: Phase 1 will include identification of program costs and of effects of program on staff and resident flow at the LTC and, Phase 2 will include determination of cost effectiveness of the programs related to improvement in vaccination coverage rates in the LTC. Evaluation of the Use of Data from Immunization Information Systems Currently, at least 22 states have immunization information systems (IIS) functioning either state-wide or in some counties or local communities. At this point in the development cycle, it is important to evaluate how the data in the IIS are used. If it is understood how these data are used and structural and functional barriers to data use can be identified, recommendations can be made to promote the full use of these data resources. Evaluations to Be Initiated Evaluation of the Role of Epi Info in Public Health Epi Info is a series of public domain computer programs for rapid questionnaire design, data entry, statistical analysis, mapping and graphing, designed for use by individual public health professionals. The cost to develop and maintain Epi Info exceeds one million dollars per year, a small fraction of CDC's budget, however Epi Info is a tool that has been used across the public health infrastructure and to facilitate epidemiological work across nearly all of CDC's programs. This evaluation is designed to provide solid information for development, planning and funding decisions, and to describe the future role of Epi Info as a public domain software package for public health professionals, as well as its role in CDC Enterprise computing. Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) System: Promoting Communication Development for Newborns with Hearing Loss Through Early Identification and Intervention Moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss affects 2-3 newborns per 1000 births, or up to 12,000 newborns each year. Without early identification and intervention, children with hearing loss experience delayed development in language and speech, leading to lower reading abilities, poorer school performance and underemployment. To date over 30 states have implemented universal newborn screening (UNHS) legislation. Of more than 4000 birthing facilities in the United States, about half are screening at least 90% of infants born at their hospitals, representing over 65% of all US births. Three agencies have now collaborated to ensure accomplishment of the Healthy People 2010 hearing objectives: newborns to be screened before discharge or by one month of age, children failing screening be evaluated by 3 months of age, and children diagnosed with hearing loss be in intervention by 6 months of age. Although most states and hospitals are well on the way to meeting the screening objective, available national data indicates that nearly half of all who fail the initial hearing tests do not return for follow up services such as a hearing re-screen, audiometric evaluation and medical diagnosis. CDC is currently funding 30 states to assist in the development of data surveillance and tracking systems to reduce loss to follow-up. The purpose of this evaluation is to conduct a multi-state study with key stakeholders to identify the barriers, identify the procedures that work, and recommend solutions to improve follow up rates. Evaluation of Laboratory-Based Surveillance for Chronic Hepatitis B and C Viral In the United States, an estimated 1.25 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Most infected persons are unaware of their status, and serve as a source of transmission to others. Infected persons are also at risk for chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Identification of infected persons is one of the primary means to prevent and control HBV and HCV infections in the United States. Identification of infected persons provides opportunities for counseling and vaccination of contacts to prevent transmission, and for timely medical management, treatment and lifestyle changes (e.g. abstaining from alcohol). Approximately 50% of States have requirements for reporting chronic HBV or HCV infections and 35% have some type of surveillance system for monitoring these infections. However, none of them have been evaluated for data quality, data elements, utility or cost. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the capacity of current surveillance systems for HBV and HCV infections at the State or county health department level for evaluating the effectiveness of prevention program activities for reducing disease transmission and disease severity, including ability to distinguish changes in discase occurrence due to improved tracking and better reporting systems and for providing case management of infected persons (e.g. notification, counseling and referral for medical and prevention services, including immunization). Formative Evaluation of the National Academic Centers for Excellence in Youth In September, FY 2000, the Division of Violence Prevention funded 10 comprehensive and developing Academic Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence across the United States. The Centers were established to help better understand and prevent youth violence. This represents a new and rapidly evolving approach to translating research into practice. The purposes of the evaluation are to: 1) establish an explicit logic model for the conceptualization of the activities and operation of these centers in order to lead to expected changes; 2) develop performance measures for assessing the progress of these centers in reaching established goals and objectives; 3) conduct a preliminary examination of the performance measures; 4) examine the level of management and coordination needed from CDC to support the centers; and 5) examine the management approaches used by other federal agencies. The information from this formative evaluation could be helpful to the centers in further clarifying and developing their activities, to CDC in examining the centers as a model for research and translation, and to policy-makers and stakeholders committed to reducing youth violence. |