Attachment C_RW Enhancing Linkage_SSI Protocol_TAP

Enhancing Linkage of STI and HIV Surveillance Data in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Evaluation

Technical Assistance Provider Staff Interview Guide

INTRODUCTION AND INFORMED CONSENT

Thank you for taking the time today to talk with us. The purpose of this interview is to help provide the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) with an understanding of the effect of the HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Enhancing Linkage of STI and HIV Surveillance Data in the RWHAP Technical Assistance (TA) demonstration project (or Enhancing Linkages). You are being asked to participate to help provide an understanding of the TA offered as part of the Enhancing Linkages demonstration project.

Our interview today should take no more than one hour. You can refuse to answer any question I ask and/or may ask to stop the interview at any time.

This discussion will be confidential. Your comments, and those of other participants, will be used in reports to the government, in summary form. With your approval, this discussion will be audio recorded so that we can be sure to capture everything that is said. The recordings will not be shared with anyone outside the Abt Associates evaluation team.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions that I cannot answer at this time, or at any time after this interview, I will follow up with the appropriate person and get back to you as soon as possible.

Given the information that I have just reviewed with you, do you still wish to participate in this interview? Do I have your permission to audio record the interview?

Thank you.

Interview Date:

Interviewer’s Initials:

Note-taker’s Initials:

Participants Job Title(s):

1. To begin, please describe your role as it relates to the HRSA 19-039 Enhancing Linkage of STI and HIV Surveillance Data in the RWHAP TA program.

2. Do you work with all of the program jurisdictions or a subset? If a subset, which jurisdictions do you work with?

3. How did you determine the changes needed within each jurisdiction to enable or enhance data sharing and use across their STI and HIV surveillance programs?

4. What, if anything has facilitated data linking in each jurisdiction?

Probes: Leadership support, resources, staffing, existing interdepartmental relationships/collaboration, technological capacity

5. Have new or expanded DSAs/MOUs been implemented in each jurisdiction?

6. Who do you see as the current primary users of linked files in each jurisdiction?

   1. Do clinicians/providers currently use the data? If so, which clinicians use the data? And how do they primarily use the data?

   2. Do policy stakeholders currently use the data? If so, who are the policy stakeholders who use the data? And how do they primarily use the data?

7. What, in your opinion, are the primary barriers and facilitators to linking data effectively in each jurisdiction?

Probes: Leadership support, resources, staffing, existing interdepartmental relationships/collaboration, technological capacity

1. What, if any, challenges have you encountered with respect to data availability (i.e., uninterrupted access to needed data inputs and outputs) in each jurisdiction? How are you and participating jurisdictions addressing these challenges?

2. What, if any, challenges have you encountered with respect to data reliability (i.e., accuracy and completeness of data, given its intended uses) in each jurisdiction? How are you and participating jurisdictions addressing these challenges?

3. What, if any, challenges have you encountered with respect to data validity (i.e., representativeness of the constructs you are trying to measure) in each jurisdictions? How are you and participating jurisdictions addressing these challenges?

1. What costs do you anticipate jurisdictions might incur from participating in this pilot project?

   1. What costs, if any, have jurisdictions reported incurring to-date?

   2. What costs, if any, have jurisdictions reported they will incur in the future?

2. How, if at all, do you anticipate the health of people with STIs and/or HIV might be impacted as a result of this pilot project?

3. Are there any additional thoughts you would like to share before we conclude?

Thank you very much for your time today. We are at the end of our interview.

Additional Questions to be asked in Evaluation Years 2 and 3

1. How has the TAP had to adapt the TA to meet jurisdictions’ needs?

Probes: Frequency of TA, type of TA provided, new TA needs emerging

2. How have the barriers to linking data effectively in each jurisdiction been resolved over time?

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