A framework for using real-time evaluative interview feedback for health promotion program and evaluation improvement: The Check It case study

Formative evaluation is a crucial strategy for health promotion program improvement. Early and ongoing formative evaluation can make a major impact on program outcomes; however, there are few frameworks that provide actual guidance on how programmatic or research teams can systematically perform this kind of important work. In this article we describe the use of an iterative real-time interview feedback framework we developed for Check It, a community-wide chlamydia screening and treatment program for young African American men in New Orleans, Louisiana. The framework considers the diverse and needed perspectives of multiple stakeholders, including participants, interviewers, transcribers, program staff, and lead researchers and/or administrators. Interviews were conducted with N = 15 Check It participants utilizing this approach. Employing the framework led to critical insights that resulted in several vital programmatic and evaluation improvements. Lessons learned, including strengths and challenges of utilizing the framework, are also shared so that this model can be replicated or adapted by program planning and evaluation professionals for other kinds of programs.

Facilitators and Barriers to Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy Acceptance for Chlamydia trachomatis Among Young African American Men Who Have Sex With Women in a Southern Urban Epicenter

BACKGROUND

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) disproportionately affects African American young people living in the Southern United States and can have negative consequences if left untreated. Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) is an evidence-based practice in which individuals diagnosed with Ct can provide treatment directly to their sex partners. However, PDPT acceptance rates need improvement. Although reasons for PDPT acceptance have been explored previously, the facilitators and barriers to expedited partner therapy acceptance among young southern African American men who have sex with women have not yet been examined.

METHODS

Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted as part of a community-based Ct screening and treatment intervention among African American men aged 15 to 25 years who had female sex partners. Participants were asked about why they did or did not accept PDPT for their sex partners. Data were transcribed and analyzed in NVivo qualitative software using an inductive thematic approach.

RESULTS

Participants' decision making was multifaceted. Facilitators for PDPT acceptance included being able to cure their partner, convenient access to treatment, believing it was the right thing to do, having a close relationship with a partner, concern for the partner's well-being, and the perceived severity of Ct. Barriers to PDPT acceptance were the belief that a partner did not need treatment, not having a close relationship with the partner, being unable to contact the partner, and fear of conflict.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings had similarities to other studies, indicating some universal messaging may be warranted alongside culturally tailored interventions for specific patient populations to increase PDPT acceptance. Implications for patient-provider communication are provided.

Effects of the use of respiratory physiotherapy in children admitted with acute viral bronchiolitis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of the use of respiratory physiotherapy in children admitted with acute viral bronchiolitis (AVB).

METHODS

A literature review was done searching the Pubmed, LILACS, PEDro, and Scielo databases. The following key words were used: bronchiolitis, physiotherapy, techniques, physical therapy, and chest physiotherapy. Both controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials, without limits as to date, were selected.

RESULTS

Fifteen articles were included and the use of different techniques of respiratory physiotherapy showed positive results in eight studies. Most (11) were controlled clinical trials, and only two had a double-blind design. Of the 14 studies with a control group, in six this group was submitted to nasopharyngeal aspiration. The most widely used techniques were manual vibration and postural drainage (eight studies), and then tapping/percussion (seven studied). The maneuvers considered as current, e.g., prolonged slow expiration, expiratory flow acceleration, and rhinopharyngeal retrograde clearance, were used in four, four, and two studies, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of respiratory physiotherapy in children with AVB remains controversial. The heterogeneity of techniques evaluated in the studies limits the interpretation of efficacy, although its use was considered safe. Recent findings indicating a reduction in the length of the hospital stay remain to be confirmed.