If We Offer It, Will They Take It? Factors Influencing Engagement in Expedited Partner Delivered Therapy (EPDT)

Background:
Expedited Partner Delivered Therapy (EPDT), a component of Expedited Partner Services (EPS), is recommended by the CDC in certain clinical situations.

Objective:
To better understand factors influencing implementation of EPS:EPDT, the study sought to develop psychosocial models for two behaviors: (1) willingness of an index patient to deliver medicine to a partner (delivery) and (2) willingness of a partner to take a medicine delivered to them (acceptance).

Method:
A survey grounded in reasoned action theory assessed intentions, attitude, perceived norm, perceived control, and specific behavioral, normative, and control beliefs for each of the two behaviors. 505 individuals aged 18-47, geographically distributed among 11 localities in the United States, were approached in public places and agreed to participate in the study (delivery version, 258; acceptance version, 247). Five stages of analysis were conducted to validate the data, identify models, and examine the influence of participant characteristics, including zero-order correlations, MRC, and MANCOVA.

Result:
Participants generally intended to engage in EPDT delivery or acceptance. Intentions were most closely associated with attitude and partner norm. Several behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, such as saving time, were significantly associated with intentions to engage in either the delivery of medication to a partner or the acceptance of medicine from a partner. Other beliefs, such as partner mistrust, were associated with non-intentions to engage.

Conclusion:
The present results indicate that many individuals would engage in EPDT and provide psychosocial models of intenders and non-intenders for delivering and accepting medicine. Likelihood of engaging in EPDT is significantly affected by psychosocial factors, beliefs, and participant characteristics.

Implications:
Psychosocial factors, beliefs, and participant characteristics influencing EPDT adoption can inform decisions regarding selection of EPDT participants and should also be useful for developing educational, training, and performance support materials and packaging for EPDT delivery.
Supported in part by CDC contract #200-2006-M-18977.