Community-engaged optimization of COVID-19 rapid evaluation and testing experiences: roll-out implementation...

Area of Science:

• Implementation science
• Public health
• Community-based research

Background:

• Need for pragmatic, community-centered, and sustainable COVID-19 testing.
• Focus on strategies prioritized by community partners: walk-up no-cost testing, community health worker (promotores)-facilitated testing and counseling, and vending machine self-testing kits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To refine and operationalize a multi-component implementation strategy bundle for COVID-19 testing.
• To implement and evaluate the impact of this bundle using a roll-out implementation optimization (ROIO) design.
• To co-create a sustainable and equitable COVID-19 testing program.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a co-designed Theory of Change and the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainment Model (PRISM).
• Established a Community and Scientific Advisory Board (CSAB) for guidance and engagement assessment.
• Enrolled 7,500 community members across four FQHC clinics over 18 months, collecting survey and interview data.
• Employed hierarchical multilevel models for quantitative analysis and rapid qualitative approaches for qualitative data analysis, triangulated using a matrix approach based on PRISM domains.

Main Results:

• (Study ongoing, results not yet available in the abstract)

Conclusions:

• This pragmatic implementation trial is one of the first to use a ROIO design for COVID-19 testing.
• Aims to co-create a sustainable and equitable COVID-19 testing program.
• Findings are expected to generalize to other public health prevention efforts.