Syphilis in the South Summit: An Impact on Practice Change and Jurisdictional Priorities

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Rising syphilis rates in the southern United States necessitate targeted interventions.
• The Syphilis in the South Summit (SiSS) convened leaders to address regional barriers and opportunities.
• The summit focused on enhancing syphilis program implementation strategies in southern jurisdictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a one-day summit on public health leaders' knowledge, skills, and practices related to syphilis control.
• To assess the effectiveness of the summit in fostering new approaches to combat syphilis in the southern region.
• To identify successes and barriers in implementing syphilis prevention strategies post-summit.

Main Methods:

• A one-day summit was conducted for healthcare and public health leaders in the southern US.
• Immediate post-course evaluations measured participant satisfaction, knowledge, skills, and intent to change.
• A long-term evaluation eight months later assessed actual practice changes, successes, and barriers.

Main Results:

• The summit engaged 58 leaders from 29 organizations across 10 southern states.
• Post-summit evaluations showed 85% intended to make practice changes.
• Long-term follow-up revealed 91% of participants identified new approaches to address syphilis.

Conclusions:

• A focused, one-day summit proved effective in driving practice changes within clinics and jurisdictions.
• The summit successfully facilitated the identification and adoption of novel strategies for syphilis control.
• Targeted educational initiatives can significantly influence public health practice in addressing sexually transmitted infections.