Starting Internet Partner Services: The New York State Experience – Kelly Firenze – NYS DOH...

Starting Internet Partner Services:Starting Internet Partner Services:

The New York State ExperienceThe New York State Experience

Kelly Firenze – – NYS DOH Bureau of STD Control

Judi Bulmer – – NYS DOH Bureau of STD Control

Peter Laqueur, MSW – – NYS AIDS Institute

History

2003 - NYS PTC staff attends HHS training on the STD/HIV Prevention and the Internet

2004 - BSTDC forms Internet Workgroup; = LHD survey disseminated = internet server purchased = pilot protocol developed

2005 - IPN pilot implemented for Early Syphilis 2006 - MSM cultural competency training for FO staff 2007 - Internet Committee expanded/Consultant hired for IPS guidelines development

2005 Support for Internet work

CDC Dear Colleague Letter in 2005 As awareness of the

role and impact of the Internet on STD and HIV transmission increases, the BSTDC IPN Workgroup gains more support from key stake holders and NYS DOH policy makers

Emergence of Disease among MSM: Internet named as only locator

2006 - 71 internet contacts elicited from 2 Primary Syphilis investigations (Downstate and Central NY area)

2007 - HIV positive patient names over 100 partners: e-mail addresses only available locating information (Downstate area)

Primary and Secondary Syphilis – Reported Rates by Sex: NYS Exclusive of NYC,1992-2007 and the Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) Objective

Central New York Syphilis Cluster 2006

Background• ES cluster yields 67 partners (54 internet screen names only)

• prompts expansion of IPS to Central NY

Outcome• 20 (37%) internet partners notified

• 89% of the internet partners were medically evaluated

Lessons Learned….

The Internet has a major impact on facilitating disease transmission as well as disease intervention

Paradigm shift for partner services IPS staff needs expansion Staff need training Guidelines need to be

established

Moving Forward

2007 – expanded survey of 300 state-wide agencies (LHDs/CBOs)

2008 - training module created for selected staff

2009 - NYS guidelines finalized

Key adaptations

Subject: Changed from “Urgent health matter” to blank

New message content for emails Ability to inform of disease specific

exposure Ability to capture dispositions for Internet

cases into STD MIS*

Training for staff…

Pre-training participant questionnaire used to establish baseline knowledge, skills and attitudes

Two and a half day session for Regional Supervisors and selected DIS Staff

Training outline Overview of websites Cultural sensitivity How to set up profiles How to Email & IM Live mock communication between IPS staff

IPS Expansion To All Regions in State

May 2008:

One trained BSTDC staff member designated as “lead” IPS staff for each of 5 regions with RS serving as back-up

IPS support and communication

Weekly conference calls for IPS staff

NYS DOH IPS Profiles have been created on many websites….

***

Data collection and evaluation…

statewide Contact Screen Name / E-mail database (record search)

IPS Logs – documents IPS investigation activity and outcome

20 New IPS-specific Dispositions

Statewide IPS database

Reframing IPS success…

• A “numbers game”• Fuzzy data

evaluating the “L” Dispo

Traditional vs. Internet Partner Services:Issues for IPS consideration…

Confidentiality Out of Jurisdiction (OOJ) Adjusting the interview process HIV PN Training

Issues Continued…

IT Cultural competency Separating “personal” from “professional” Working in online venues Time and effort

NYS DOH IPS Guidelines Released

IPS growth continues…

Creation of NYS IPS Outreach Group on…

Creation of National IPS group

Creation of National group for OOJ Coordinators

Questions & Discussion…

For Additional Questions

Contact NYS DOH Bureau of STD Control

Judi Bulmer (518) 474-3598

jab19@health.state.ny.us