Grant: Applied Public Health Chair - Research Area 5 - HIV and STBBI Research

As an Applied Public Health Chair, my focus will be on developing and evaluating programs for getting tested for sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI), focusing on programs that make it easier to get tested, and reduce the strain on the health care system. People living in rural and remote communities face many barriers to getting tested, including limited laboratory services or greater concerns about privacy, in addition to barriers such as concerns about being judged by healthcare providers faced by many people at risk for STBBI. In order to reduce these barriers, my program of research will continue to focus on the impacts of GetCheckedOnline (GCO), BC's internet-based testing system for STBBI. I have shown GCO to be an effective way to reach people with these barriers and health agencies in BC are keen to continue rolling out the service in different communities. However rising costs are becoming increasingly difficult to manage and I will conduct research that more closely looks at the factors affecting the sustainability of GCO (that is, how we can continue scaling up the service in BC). I will also look at what is needed to develop two new testing programs in BC, the use of testing kits that provide instructions for collecting your own specimens, and how non-health care providers such as staff in community based organizations can take a greater role in providing testing. My goal of this Chair is to conduct research that has an impact on reducing testing barriers, improving access, and ultimately reducing the spread of STBBI. I will also use the funding available through the chair to develop stronger relationships with stakeholders to ensure my research is useful in meeting new public health challenges over the course of the chair. Finally through my Chair I will develop a hub for applied public health research on STBBI, and provide support and mentorship for junior researchers starting their careers in the area of STBBI research.