Background

HIV and intersectional stigma in healthcare settings undermine efforts to control the HIV epidemic by compromising access to and utilization of HIV prevention and treatment services. Quality improvement (QI) employs plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles in a structured approach to identifying, testing, and adopting interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination. Applying a QI approach to the reduction of HIV and intersectional stigma ensures that HIV service providers implement stigma elimination interventions that are adapted to local contexts.

 

Program

Utilizing a Quality Improvement Approach to Eliminate HIV Stigma in Healthcare Settings will provide an overview of evidence-based interventions to optimize the HIV care environment for people living with HIV. The information will be provided to clinicians through a webinar delivered across two modules.

  1. The first module addresses the impact of HIV and intersectional stigma within health systems and in health care settings on access to and utilization of HIV services, as well as HIV and other health outcomes.
  2. The second module addresses utilization of a QI approach to eliminate HIV stigma in health care settings, leveraging routine measurement of stigma and discrimination, team-based learning, root cause analyses, and tests of change.

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of HIV care providers and other healthcare professionals providing HIV care and treatment such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

 

Accreditation

 

Planning Committee

This educational activity was developed by a course director and an activity manager:

Course Director: Chris Duncombe, MD, AM, PhD (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA)

Activity Manager: Jonathon Hess, MPA, LLM (International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, Washington, DC, USA)

Activity Coordinator: John Charles (International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, Tampa, FL, USA)

Faculty Member: Chris Duncombe, MD, AM, PhD (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA)

 

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

  1. Recognize the impact of HIV and intersectional stigma within health systems and in health care settings on access to and utilization of HIV services, as well as HIV and other health outcomes
  2. Describe how to utilize a QI approach to eliminate HIV stigma in health care settings, leverage routine measurement of stigma and discrimination, team-based learning, root cause analyses, and tests of change

 

Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

 

Credit Designation

The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine designates this activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

 

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Mitigation

All conflicts of interest of any individual(s) in a position to control the content of this CME activity will be identified and resolved prior to this educational activity being provided. Disclosure about provider and faculty relationships, or the lack thereof, will be provided to learners.

 

Disclosure of Commercial Support

This activity is supported through an educational grant from Gilead Sciences. The content for this activity was developed by and reflects the views of the activity’s planners, not those of the commercial entity providing educational grants.

 

Resource Materials

Following are useful resources to contextualize this activity’s content:

Measuring HIV Stigma and Discrimination among Health Facility Staff. Health Policy Project, Futures Group International, Washington, DC, USA.

QI and Stigma Reduction. HEALTHQUAL. University of California San Francisco, CA, USA.

Target HIV: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. HIV Quality Measures (HIVQM) Module Instruction Manual 2021-2022. Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD, USA.

Continuous Quality Improvement. Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, MN, USA.

Building a Coalition to Overcome Intersecting Stigmas and Improve HIV Prevention, Care Access, and Health Outcomes in New York City. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY, USA.

Facilitator’s Training Guide for a Stigma-Free Health Facility: Training Menus, Facilitation Tips, and Participatory Training Modules. Futures Group International, Washington, DC, USA.

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA). Louisiana Department of Health, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

U=U in Clinical Practice. International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, Washington, DC, USA.

 

Course Content

This activity’s two modules are covered in the video link below, which should be fully reviewed prior to completing the knowledge assessment. If you encounter any issues, please contact Jonathon Hess, MPA, LLM, IAPAC Senior Director of Education, at jhess@iapac.org.

 

Knowledge Assessments

This activity has two knowledge assessments. The first assessment requires completing 8 multiple choice questions covering topics covered in the activity’s two modules and must be completed following the activity’s completion to claim 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. A second case study-based assessment will be emailed to activity participants two months post-activity along with guidance regarding how to claim an additional 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.