HEART: Improving public health programs for HIV and other infectious diseases
The HEART Study: Measuring the Impact of Public Health Programming
This project will build a practical tool to help public health teams deliver HIV and other infectious disease services more reliably for communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chestnut Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140355 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As someone using local health services, you would see researchers working with public health staff and community groups to identify the capabilities that make programs work well. They will use interviews, data reviews, and surveys to turn those capabilities into clear, measurable domains. The team will create the HEART Tool, test its questions and format with preliminary psychometric methods, and then pilot it in several clinic and community settings. They will refine the tool based on real-world feedback so local programs can use it to guide planning and resource decisions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are public health programs, clinics, community organizations, their staff, and potentially clients affected by HIV or other communicable diseases who can provide feedback during piloting.
Not a fit: People seeking a new drug or direct clinical treatment are unlikely to get immediate personal medical benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, HEART could help health departments and clinics focus resources where they matter most and improve consistency in HIV prevention and care.
How similar studies have performed: Other implementation-measure tools have helped some programs improve delivery, but HEART applies a new mixed-methods and psychometric approach tailored to infectious disease programming.
Where this research is happening
Chestnut Hill, United States
- Boston College — Chestnut Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Irie, Whitney Chivonne — Boston College
- Study coordinator: Irie, Whitney Chivonne
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.