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Report on Illinois' HIV Identifier Trial Shows System's Promise
In November 2000, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) prepared the report,
"Promising Results: HIV Tracking
by Unique Identifier in Illinois," to examine the performance
of Illinois' HIV surveillance system, which is designed to track HIV case
reports by patient code number (PCN) rather than by name. The system is
currently operating on a trial basis.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago applauded the decision of the Illinois
Department of Public Health to extend the state's HIV surveillance trial.
Background
In March 2000, IDPH
released preliminary information about the system's performance, casting
doubts on the system's ability to meet pre-determined performance criteria.
Evaluating only the first six months of operation, IDPH found that the
system was deficient in two of four areas measured. IDPH's six-month report
prompted AFC, and other AIDS advocates, to investigate the PCN system's
progress, challenges, and ways the system's performance might be bolstered.
Major Findings
Through research,
and interviews with local health department officials, reporting entities,
and individuals close to the system's operation, AFC identified several
procedural and operational problems that are affecting the system's performance.
They include:
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Performance criteria
established by IDPH are inconsistent with standards recommended by the
federal government, and are unrealistically high
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Epidemiological follow-up activities--which are required by state regulation--are
not being conducted or reported uniformly, and in some instances, may
not be occurring at all
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IDPH's evaluation plans are biased against non-name-reporting methods
- Reporting
forms contain questions that are not required by state regulation, yet
are being evaluated for completeness of reporting
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A lack of on-going provider education and technical assistance is impairing
the system's performance
- Local
health departments lack funding to adequately implement the system
-
IDPH has not provided sufficient staff support and expertise to properly
implement the surveillance trial
Recommendations
AFC has several substantive
recommendations for IDPH intended to correct operational problems, improve
the system's performance, and evaluate the system in a fair and objective
manner. AFC urges IDPH to:
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Reconvene its advisory HIV Case Surveillance Working
Group to receive community input in developing "next steps" and the
evaluation
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Develop and implement procedures to ensure that local
health departments systematically conduct epidemiological follow-up
activities--as required by state regulation--for HIV case reports with
missing information
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Revise how reporting of "other required information"
is evaluated to conform with state requirements
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Adjust the system's performance criteria to reflect the
performance measures for HIV surveillance recommended by the CDC
- Conduct an independent, impartial, process evaluation of the system's
operation
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Fund an independent contractor to give providers statewide education
and technical assistance, so they can better comply with state reporting
requirements and maintain accurate client PCN logs
- Together with medical and public health professionals, university-based
evaluators, community representatives and people living with HIV, design
and implement a rigorous outcome evaluation plan to measure the ability
of the system to track trends in the HIV epidemic
View AFC's report,
Promising Results, by downloading the document from the menu on
the right hand column on this page.
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HIV SURVIELLANCE REPORT:
 These
downloadable documents are Adobe PDF files and require the Adobe
Acrobat Reader program for access.
Promising Results: HIV Tracking
by Unique Identifier In Illinois (November 2000)
Common Questions and Answers on
Mandatory Name Reporting (November 2000)
Unique Identifier Systems
Across the United States (November 2000)
Adult HIV/AIDS Confidential Case
Report (November 2000)
RELATED SITES:
Links to other online resources on CARE Act reauthorization:
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