title: Rapid assessment and response studies of injection drug use: knowledge gain, capacity building, and intervention development in a multisite study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the World Health Organization's rapid assessment and response (RAR) method of assessing injection drug use and its associated health problems, focusing on knowledge gain, capacity building, and whether RAR leads to the development of interventions reducing the health effects of injection drug use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were derived from RAR studies conducted in Beijing, China; Bogotá, Colombia; Greater Rosario, Argentina; Hanoi, Vietnam; Kharkiv, Ukraine; Minsk, Belarus; Nairobi, Kenya; Penang, Malaysia; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Tehran, Iran.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Substantial gains in knowledge and response capacity were reported at all of the study sites. Before RAR initiation, prevention and intervention programs had been absent or inadequate at most of the sites. The RARs resulted in many new or modified interventions; 7 sites reported 24 health-related interventions that were subsequently developed and influenced by the RARs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RARs, which require relatively little external funding, appear to be effective in linking assessment to development of appropriate interventions. The present results add to the evidence that rapid assessment is an important public health tool.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, Imperial College London, Reynolds Building, St. Dunstan's Road, London W6 8RP, United Kingdom. g.stimson@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Gerry V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Stimson
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fitch
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DesJarlais
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Poznyak
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Perlis
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oppenheimer
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D015980:Public Health Practice; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization