Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
A tailored approach to promoting engagement in public health: Diversity supplement - The parent grant, Strata, aims to develop a turnkey platform that empowers users to collect and utilize psycho- demographic data to achieve more representative enrollment vis-à-vis target populations, tailor outreach materials and communication based on actionable insights about both consenters and non-consenters, and iteratively optimize their successive recruitment waves in real-time. Strata’s research aim is to investigate whether intentions to improve HIV medication adherence among HIV+ men recruited online into an eHealth intervention are significantly higher in a video intervention arm compared to a control arm. We will conduct this study within a study, by recruiting HIV+ men in several waves through an iterative process to better predict participant engagement and to improve representativeness in enrollment in a scaled-down version of a prior eHealth intervention. Specifically, in each round of online recruitment, we will collect approximately 200 completed eligible screener surveys. Eligible consenting men will be randomized to either Group 1 (brief baseline survey only) or Group 2 (brief baseline survey and video clip from the eHealth intervention); both groups will complete a brief psychographic assessment and brief 30-day follow-up survey that inquires about HIV medication adherence, other HIV prevention topics (e.g., sexual risk, HIV disclosure, healthcare engagement), as well as feedback on the study design and reasons for engaging in the study (e.g., incentive, interest in the topic, online nature of the study, ability to use their mobile phone to engage). We will compare self-reported HIV medication adherence at baseline and 30-day follow-up among participants in each wave (between groups) of study recruitment to assess whether harder-to-engage participants have differential health outcomes. Eligible non-consenting men will receive a brief survey assessing psychographic factors and, to learn about how these men might become motivated to enroll, open-ended questions about their reasons for not participating in the study. The purpose of the proposed diversity supplement research and training proposal is to provide mentorship and training to a new post-doctoral nurse scientist, Portia Thomas, DNSc, who is from an underrepresented group. The diversity supplement will involve a mix of experiential and didactic activities related to the parent grant, as well as the development of a pilot study that Dr. Thomas will lead. Most proposed activities are research-focused, as Dr. Thomas’ long-term goal is to become an independent research investigator. Regarding the diversity supplement business-related aspects and training related to Strata development, Dr. Thomas will engage in experiential learning and typology development to identify additional datasets related to participant psycho-demographics and intervention engagement.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).