HIV Molecular Epidemiology (ME) Dashboard: Mapping HIV to Identify Prevention Gaps in Florida - HIV sequence data plays a pivotal role in the public health strategy of cluster detection and response to identify and address recent outbreaks across the U.S. However, leveraging this data presents significant challenges, including addressing community concerns about legal risks related to HIV transmission or non-disclosure. Innovative approaches are urgently needed to balance these concerns while effectively guiding public health in prioritizing HIV prevention resources. This project aims to integrate de-identified and aggregated HIV sequence data with publicly available national Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) prevention and treatment data hosted on the AIDSVu platform. The outcome will be an interactive online data dashboard enabling users to identify regions with heightened HIV transmission and associated gaps in the HIV Care Continuum for the state of Florida. Human-Centered Design principles, which emphasize designing solutions around the specific needs, preferences, and experiences of end-users, will ensure that the resulting tools are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with community values and public health goals. This initiative represents a robust collaboration among people with lived experience, HIV advocacy organizations, academic institutions (Emory University, UC San Diego, Johns Hopkins University), and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). The overarching goal is to integrate HIV sequence and AIDSVu data into a co-created dashboard that identifies transmission hotspots and links them to tailored prevention strategies. The dashboard will employ regional heatmaps—avoiding individual-level investigations—to highlight clustering densities and integrate EHE metrics, enabling targeted interventions. Usability evaluations, including assessments of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility, will guide iterative development. This initiative embodies a strong academic-public health partnership supported by a broad network of national and regional collaborators. Specific Aims include Aim 1) Understand Key Partner Perspectives to Inform Dashboard Design. We will engage key partners—including FDOH personnel, epidemiologists, and HIV advocacy groups—to identify perceived benefits, concerns, and design preferences for the dashboard; AIM 2) Develop the HIV ME Dashboard. The dashboard will integrate de-identified HIV molecular epidemiology (ME) data with data on STI incidence, AIDSVu EHE metrics, and social determinants of health; and AIM 3) Evaluate Dashboard Implementation. The dashboard prototype will be piloted with FDOH personnel in Florida EHE jurisdictions. This project addresses critical gaps in HIV prevention by integrating advanced data analytics with actionable public health insights. By prioritizing community collaboration, privacy, and usability, the HIV ME Dashboard has the potential to transform HIV prevention efforts in Florida and beyond, informing scalable solutions for other EHE jurisdictions.
