Poster #98 - Strengthening STI workforce Collaboration: The Role of Knowledge and Policy Coproduction

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Background:

The evolving healthcare landscape, shifting dating behaviors, and increasing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) have introduced new barriers to STI prevention and treatment. Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), employed by state health departments, play a critical role in STI management by ensuring treatment coordination for individuals with positive STI tests and their partners. However, gaps in DIS-provider collaboration hinder workflow efficiency, resource utilization, and timely patient care. A lack of knowledge coproduction prevents full-service integration and delays effective interventions for patients. This study examines how knowledge and policy coproduction between DIS and healthcare providers influence STI prevention and treatment workflows and explores its role in shaping evidence-based policies to optimize collaboration and service delivery.

 

Methods:

This qualitative study, part of the DIS Workforce Evaluation Project funded by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), utilized focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Focus groups included 22 DIS workforce members—DIS, supervisors, technical assistants, and program managers (10/17/2022–11/28/2022). Provider interviews involved 13 participants, including medical providers, nurses, nurse practitioners, program managers, and technical assistants (11/29/2023–4/9/2024). Thematic analysis identified barriers and facilitators, informing evidence-based policy recommendations.

 

Results:

Key barriers to collaboration include limited provider awareness of DIS roles, inefficient communication, and divided resource-sharing mechanisms. These challenges fall under three themes: education, communication, and resources. Without knowledge coproduction, providers often misunderstand DIS roles in patient case management, partner notification, and care coordination, leading to outdated and inefficient practices such as handwritten and incomplete patient reports sent via fax. Participants emphasized the need for structured knowledge-sharing mechanisms, including an online real-time information-sharing system, joint training sessions, and interdisciplinary knowledge dissemination meetings to foster collaboration and enhance workflow integration.

 

The Role of Knowledge and Policy Coproduction:

Knowledge coproduction actively engages DIS, healthcare providers, and public health agencies in collaborative knowledge-sharing, decision-making, and policy formulation. Establishing continuous communication channels allows providers to understand DIS capabilities while enabling DIS to recognize provider limitations, ensuring efficient collaboration. This approach fosters shared responsibility and optimizes service delivery by integrating insights from both groups.

By co-designing policies based on real-world challenges, co-production ensures stakeholder involvement, increasing compliance and effectiveness. For example, implementing an integrated online communication system with real-time patient updates could streamline care coordination and improve partner notification efforts. Reducing workflow redundancies and communication gaps allows stakeholders to maximize resources, enhance efficiency, and minimize time wasted due to miscommunication.

Conclusions:

Knowledge and policy coproduction offer a strategic approach to strengthening STI prevention and treatment workflows. By fostering collaboration, joint decision-making, and stakeholder-driven policy design, this framework ensures evidence-based strategies that address both workforce and patient needs. Findings highlight the importance of structured communication mechanisms, shared training initiatives, and co-designed policies to improve DIS-provider collaboration. Strengthening knowledge coproduction in the STI workforce can enhance service delivery, optimize resource use, and improve public health outcomes.

Author

• Marzuka Ahmad Radia, University at Albany
  Presenting Author