At a glance
Jurisdictions are leaning into targeted STI prevention and treatment strategies by focusing on the needs and interests of local communities and delivering partnerships invested in meeting people where they are.
June 2023
A pilot program at the Louisiana Department of Public Health (LDH) offers communication flexibility to disease intervention specialists (DIS) facing a rise in sexually transmitted infection cases statewide. The new process, launched in April 2022, uses a partner services video application for virtual patient interviews in lieu of in-person or phone interviews. LDH added the virtual option to deliver the comfort level and personal touch of a direct, face-to-face interview, while also offering the convenience and accessibility of signing on from anywhere. Once the patient chooses the video interview option during initial contact, the DIS sends a secure link accessible via computer or smartphone to a virtual meeting room (no software or app download required). The initial phase of the project has focused on virtual interviews for syphilis cases in two public health regions of Louisiana with high case volumes but limited DIS capacity for field interviews. Results are encouraging: out of 117 patient interviews, DIS collected the names of 43 partners, among whom 12 were new syphilis infections, nine were preventively treated, and 11 were previously treated. LDH plans to expand the virtual interview option into all public health regions of the state in the near future. The project is funded in part through a CDC-supported grant provided by the National Association of County and City Health Officials.