title: Creating a bridge between data collection and program planning: a technical assistance model to maximize the use of HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data for planning purposes.
abstract: Over time, improvements in HIV/AIDS surveillance and service utilization data have increased their usefulness for planning programs, targeting resources, and otherwise informing HIV/AIDS policy. However, community planning groups, service providers, and health department staff often have difficulty in interpreting and applying the wide array of data now available. We describe the development of the Bridging Model, a technical assistance model for overcoming barriers to the use of data for program planning. Through the use of an iterative feedback loop in the model, HIV/AIDS data products constantly are evolving to better inform the decision-making tasks of their multiple users. Implementation of this model has led to improved data quality and data products and to a greater willingness and ability among stakeholders to use the data for planning purposes.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Department of Public Health HIV/AIDS Bureau, Boston, USA. jcoyle@catalyst-consulting.net
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: Maile
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Woliver
authors.forename: Eric P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
authors.forename: Abigail R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Averbach
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006290:Health Planning Technical Assistance; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011159:Population Surveillance