National HIV Prevention Conference Atlanta, Georgia, USA — August 29- September 1, 1999

Natl HIV Prev Conf 1999 Aug 29-Sep 1:(abstract no. 102)
Joy Elizabeth Workman, M. A., L. S. W.,
HIVNET National Community Education Coordinator, Abt Associates Inc.

ISSUE: With promising candidate vaccines currently in Phase I and II testing and the first-ever phase III efficacy trial underway in the US, the need to lay the groundwork to inform and prepare communities for such large scale endeavors is imperative. The success of HIV prevention studies requires researchers and members of communities at risk for HIV infection to build trust by engaging in open, honest, and ongoing dialogue. As vaccine research becomes more visible in local communities, more and more community stakeholders from both the infected and affected community are going to be called upon to help support research efforts by providing education, training, technical assistance, and advocacy. In this respect, obtaining a broad knowledge of the intricacies of community based vaccine research will be critical to supporting these efforts.

SETTING: At 22 domestic research sites, community educators worked to inform key community constituents about HIV prevention research, new movements and trends in HIV prevention, scientific concerns in the design of clinical trials, and the overall efforts of the HIV Network for Prevention Trials (HIVNET).

PROJECT: The HIVNET, a network of research study sites established to evaluate the safety and efficacy of multiple HIV prevention strategies, particularly HIV vaccines, initiated the design, development, and implementation of a comprehensive community education initiative to address community relations, increase community awareness, and facilitate community participation in the design and development of vaccine research.

RESULTS: A four stage development process and theoretical model designed to enhance community education, participation, and collaboration in the development and implementation of prevention trials has been established as a basis for future use by prevention and vaccine trial research networks.

LESSONS LEARNED: Staff and community partners discovered that a simple formula based on a set of core principles is the foundation from which to build a promising comprehensive educational and outreach approach. Additionally, knowledge transfer from one initiative to the next presents a difficult challenge as new network structures expand their efforts at community collaboration anticipating development and implementation of future large scale Phase III vaccine trials.

PRESENTER CONTACT INFORMATION:
Name: Joy E. Workman
Address: 4800 Montgomery Lane Ste. 600
Bethesda, MD 20814
Telephone: (301) 718-3103
Fax: (301) 718-3108
E-mail: joy_workman@abtassoc.com

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National HIV Prevention Conference, 1999. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 29- September 1, 1999.

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