National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases: A National Initiative to Promote Evidence-Informed STBBI Partner Notification Practices and Programs in Canada

Background:  As a national knowledge translation organization in the area of infectious diseases for public health, the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) has undertaken a project to capture evidence from various knowledge spheres to inform STBBI partner notification practices and programs in Canada.

Objectives: 

1. To initiate a national dialogue on STBBI partner notification in Canada
2. To identify strategies to overcome challenges with implementation and evaluation of STBBI partner notification programs

Methods:  This project uses a mixed-methods approach to capture a wide range of evidence – from research-based evidence to experiential knowledge – related to partner notification for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis C, and HIV. Components of this project include:

1. A review of provincial and territorial acts, regulations and protocols related to partner notification
2. A series of rapid reviews on various partner notification topics
3. A series of experiential reviews of practice
4. Mathematical modeling for evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different models of partner notification for chlamydia
5. A national consultation on STBBI partner notification.

Results:  Components of the NCCID STBBI partner notification project are at various stages of development. The national consultation held in Toronto in October 2011 provided NCCID with an opportunity to learn about the knowledge gaps in STBBI partner notification and inherent challenges with implementation. Feedback from consultation participants will mold project activities to ensure the end products address the knowledge and information needs of frontline public health practitioners dealing with STBBIs in Canada.

Conclusions:  The NCCID STBBI partner notification project has built-in mechanisms to gather input from frontline public health practitioners to ensure the end products are tailored to the knowledge and information needs of the target audience.

Implications for Programs, Policy, and Research:  Evidence made accessible by the NCCID project can be adapted and used to inform STBBI partner notification practices and programs in jurisdictions across Canada.