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Learning Objective:
1. Identify high-risk individuals.
2. Understand testing and vaccination barriers in community health clinics (CHC).
3. Familiarized with the testing and vaccination program of the clinic.
Background:
Hepatitis B is a communicable disease that can be prevented with vaccination. Because of better-known STDs, hepatitis B does not get the attention/ resources it requires to prevent outbreaks. The limited resources of CHC and the misinformation of the clients regarding their risk are present barriers to deal with the disease. On one hand, the limited resources of CHC require that services be targeted to individuals at a higher risk. On the other hand, the lack of understanding among the clients about the disease, the risk they face, and the benefits of testing and vaccination make the task more difficult. Finally, characteristics of the clientele such as SES and lifestyle make more difficult completing the vaccination process.
Setting:
Community-base health clinics serving needy populations and high-risk clients.
Population e.g. API Youth, MSM, IDU:
Users of free STD services: MSM, IDU, and poverty-stricken Men.
Project Description:
The Whitman-Walker Clinic is the largest provider of free and confidential STD screening and treatment for MSMs in the greater Washington, DC area. The purpose of the presentation is three fold: 1) to provide a picture of the current state of Hepatitis B infection, testing, and vaccination in the DC area; 2) Data continually collected to monitor the programs of the clinic will be use to describe the Hepatitis B infected MSMs; 3) Current efforts to promote testing and vaccination will be discussed as well as the barriers the health care providers are facing.
Results/Lessons Learned:
Health care providers that can recognize clients at a higher risk are better equipped to dispense the resources where are needed the most. Further, health care providers, who are aware of the barriers their clients face, will be more effective assisting their client to overcome the barriers.
See more of A4 - Community-Based Integration Models
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference