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Abstract

Hepatitis B and HIV Prevention and Education Project is a three-year project aimed at increasing awareness and prevention of hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS and improving communication between patients and health care professionals. It targeted Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) and African refugee and immigrant (ARI) families in Portland, Oregon. Strategies included conducting workshops and community outreach on hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS, providing community-based hepatitis B screening and vaccination, and offering cultural trainings to health care and social service providers and interpreter trainings to Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) interpreters and community members. Through partnerships with the Multnomah County Health Department and various community groups and organizations, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) conducted 9 community vaccination clinics, vaccinating over 236 A/PI and ARI community members for hepatitis B, screening 166 community members for hepatitis B, and referring 25 community members for HIV testing. The evaluation assessed changes in participants' knowledge about hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS, as well as changes in cultural competency of health care professionals. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using pre/post knowledge assessments, surveys, and a content review of their program tracking sheet. The evaluation found that 76 percent of participants who completed a knowledge assessment increased their knowledge about hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS, and health care providers and interpreters increased their knowledge about cultural competency.

Related NPA Goals:

• Increased awareness, education and outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health and health disparities problems
• Improved access to, and appropriate utilization of, health & other community-based services and systems through user-centered design for racial/ethnic minorities (e.g., health IT, culturally/ linguistically appropriate services, service provider education/ training, workforce diversity)
• Strengthened leadership and coordination to leverage resources and enhance effectiveness and efficiency of individual and collective efforts (including, but not limited to, research and data)

Related Healthy People 2010 Objectives:

• 1-6 Reduce the proportion of families that experience difficulties or delays in obtaining health care or do not receive needed care for one or more family members
• 11-6 Increase the proportion of persons who report that their health care providers have satisfactory communication skills
• 13-5 Reduce the number of cases of HIV infection among adolescents and adults
• 14-1d Reduce or eliminate indigenous cases of vaccine-preventable hepatitis B