The utility of evaluation in optimizing implementation and improvement of HIV prevention programming

The objective of this article is to describe Project PrIDE (PrEP Implementation, Data to Care, and Evaluation) through the lens of Evaluation Utilization and provide examples of how twelve funded health departments (HD) utilized evaluation findings to make decisions related to improving PrEP awareness and uptake, and/or enhancing capacity for data to care (D2C) activities. Each HD conducted a local evaluation (LE) and reported ongoing and planned utilization of evaluation findings in the final LE reports. Information from all reports was abstracted for qualitative analysis to identify main evaluation utilization themes. Findings showed that program evaluation was incorporated as early as the project development phase and designed with the goal of improving, and not just demonstrating the efficacy of the programs. Evaluation data were effectively utilized to improve PrEP and D2C activities, for example, by increasing community engagement throughout LEs, enhancing social media implementation, prioritizing the most effective referral sources at re-linking clients into HIV care, reducing client wait time between receiving PrEP referral and obtaining appointment with provider, and incorporating evaluation findings into program planning and development. Project PrIDE highlights the importance of a planned evaluation in providing ongoing improvements to HIV prevention services to better serve priority populations.