title: The use of emerging informatics techniques to evaluate the delivery of NMAETC programs to address HIV and AIDS disparities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Information technologies are employed to evaluate health program and better target recruitment of health care workforce for underserved communities, where needs for providers are greatest. With increased resources in reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS disparities and provider training, it may be important to know whether training is delivered in geographic areas where HIV/AIDS demonstrates high prevalence. The present study employs an informatics approach to identifying effectiveness of AIDS educational intervention in minority populations adversely affected by the disease. We seek to assess the National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center (NMAETC) on whether training activities are delivered appropriately in areas with high AIDS prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A geographic information systems application was developed to relate NMAETC provider training activities to its spatial relationship of AIDS prevalence of 4 major US racial/ethnic groups (fiscal years 2005-2006). Trainees' locations were geocoded by zip code. We overlaid AIDS prevalence of major demographic communities by state with the US Census region and division boundaries to visually inspect the patterns of distribution and potential spatial association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NMAETC training better targeted providers in 3 US Census regions and census divisions. The regions with higher provider training level generally corresponded to geographic areas with high AIDS prevalence for some minority populations. Additional efforts could be extended to recruit providers in the areas where the incidences were high for some communities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most NMAETC provider training activities occurred in the states with a high AIDS prevalence. Additional efforts could be extended to recruit the providers in those regions where HIV/AIDS are more prevalent for some minority populations.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin, Houston, Ste 600, TX 77030, USA. chiehwen.e.hsu@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Chiehwen Ed
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Keisha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boekeloo
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Christiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Goulda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Downer
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States