Safe in the city: developing an effective video-based intervention for STD clinic waiting rooms

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Intervention Design

Background:

• There is a critical need for accessible, affordable, and scalable HIV and STD prevention methods suitable for diverse clinical settings.
• Existing interventions often lack the replicability and audience engagement required for widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the iterative, collaborative design and development process of a brief video-based intervention called Safe in the City.
• To outline the four key steps involved in creating an engaging and effective public health video intervention.

Main Methods:

• The intervention was designed through a four-step iterative process: identifying the medium, framework, and messages; collaborating with a film company; incorporating multi-stakeholder feedback; and pilot-testing for implementation barriers.
• A participatory approach involving clinic patients, staff, and community reviewers ensured audience relevance and appeal.

Main Results:

• The Safe in the City video intervention was successfully developed and refined through a collaborative, multi-stage process.
• Pilot-testing identified and addressed structural barriers to video viewing in clinic waiting rooms.

Conclusions:

• The Safe in the City intervention has proven effective in reducing incident STDs among clinic patients in multiple U.S. cities.
• This video-based approach offers a replicable and appealing model for STD prevention in diverse clinical populations.