AEGiS-14IAC: A call for the development of a national standardized HIV/AIDS prevention intervention classification taxonomy: improving the monitoring of interventions for prevention program planning, capacity-building, and evaluation.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

A call for the development of a national standardized HIV/AIDS prevention intervention classification taxonomy: improving the monitoring of interventions for prevention program planning, capacity-building, and evaluation.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. G12501)

Akers TA
CDC, Atlanta, United States

ISSUES: Although CDC and its extramural partners have funded, implemented, and evaluated hundreds of HIV/AIDS prevention intervention programs, CDC recognizes the lack of and need for a common vocabulary that programmatically and scientifically defines and classifies such interventions. This lack of consistent terminology has hampered the design, tracking, assistance, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention interventions, as well as programmatic and scientific discussions on these topics.

DESCRIPTION: This paper will outline the activities of the project undertaken which consist of: 1) an extensive literature review to determine whether a call for a national, standardized HIV/AIDS prevention intervention classification taxonomy has ever been addressed; 2) a detailed abstraction of CDC's FY2001 Applications for HIV Prevention Cooperative Agreements and HIV Comprehensive Plans from the 65 health department jurisdictions the agency funds; 3) recommendations from CDC's hosted meeting of 30 invited national experts in the areas of HIV prevention and care, classification taxonomies, informatics, program development, surveillance, data analysis and evaluation; and 4) a final report summarizing the findings and recommendations.

ISSUES: The panel thought that it was important at the outset of an undertaking like this to have a mission statement to guide further activities and resource allocation.

RECOMMENDATIONS: In brief, it is recommended that NCHSTP 1) establish a vocabulary that will define and distinguish the major types of interventions that are prominent in the field and that will also accommodate new and innovative intervention approaches; 2) clarify the major intervention types that will serve as the basis for the distinctions; and 3) identify the minimum characteristics that will distinguish interventions.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Evaluation Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.), Federal Government, HIV Seropositivity, Program Development, Health Planning Guidelines, classification, Education, nursing, therapy

020707
G12501