Utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach is a potentially effective strategy for exploring the development, implementation, and evaluation of HIV interventions in African American churches. This CBPR-guided study describes a church-based HIV awareness and screening intervention (Taking It to the Pews [TIPS]) that fully involved African American church leaders in all phases of the research project. Findings from the implementation and evaluation phases indicated that church leaders delivered TIPS Tool Kit activities on an ongoing basis (about twice a month) over a 9-month period. TIPS church members were highly exposed to TIPS activities (e.g., 91% reported receiving HIV educational brochures, 84% heard a sermon about HIV). Most (87%) believed that the church should talk about HIV, and 77% believed that the church should offer HIV screening. These findings suggest that implementing an HIV intervention in Black church settings is achievable, particularly when a CBPR approach is used.

Abstract-Infants with single ventricle require staged cardiac surgery, with stage I typically performed shortly after birth, stage II at 4 to 6 months of age, and stage III at 3 to 5 years of age. There is a high risk of interstage mortality and morbidity after infants are discharged from the hospital between stages I and II. Traditional home monitoring requires caregivers to record measurements of weight and oxygen saturation into a binder and requires families to assume a surveillance role. We have developed a tablet PC-based solution that provides secure and nearly instantaneous transfer of patient information to a cloud-based server, with the capacity for instant alerts to be sent to the caregiver team. The cloudbased IT infrastructure lends itself well to being able to be scaled to multiple sites while maintaining strict control over the privacy of each site. All transmitted data are transferred to the electronic medical record daily. The system conforms to recently released Food and Drug Administration regulation that pertains to mobile health technologies and devices. Since this platform was developed in March 2014, 30 patients have been monitored. There have been no interstage deaths. The experience of care providers has been unanimously positive. The addition of video has added to the use of the monitoring program. Of 30 families, 23 expressed a preference for the tablet PC over the notebook, 3 had no preference, and 4 preferred the notebook to the tablet PC.

Introduction Despite limitations in evidence, the current Clinical Practice Guideline advocates Motivational Interviewing for smokers not ready to quit. This study evaluated the efficacy of Motivational Interviewing (MI) for inducing cessation-related behaviors among smokers with low motivation to quit. Design Randomized clinical trial. Setting/participants Two-hundred fifty-five daily smokers reporting low desire to quit smoking were recruited from an urban community during 2010–2011 and randomly assigned to Motivational Interviewing, health education, or brief advice using a 2:2:1 allocation. Data were analyzed from 2012 to 2014. Intervention Four sessions of Motivational Interviewing utilized a patient-centered communication style that explored patients’ own reasons for change. Four sessions of health education provided education related to smoking cessation while excluding elements characteristic of Motivational Interviewing. A single session of brief advice consisted of brief, personalized advice to quit. Main outcomes measures Self-reported quit attempts, smoking abstinence (biochemically verified), use of cessation pharmacotherapies, motivation, and confidence to quit were assessed at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Results Unexpectedly, no significant differences emerged between groups in the proportion who made a quit attempt by 6-month follow-up (Motivational Interviewing, 52.0%; health education, 60.8%; brief advice, 45.1%; p=0.157). Health education had significantly higher biochemically verified abstinence rates at 6 months (7.8%) than brief advice (0.0%) (8% difference, 95% CI=3%, 13%, p=0.003), with the Motivational Interviewing group falling in between (2.9% abstinent, 3% risk difference, 95% CI=0%, 6%, p=0.079). Both Motivational Interviewing and health education groups showed greater increases in cessation medication use, motivation, and confidence to quit relative to brief advice (all p<0.05), and health education showed greater increases in motivation relative to Motivational Interviewing (Cohen’s d=0.36, 95% CI=0.12, 0.60). Conclusions Although Motivational Interviewing was generally more efficacious than brief advice in inducing cessation behaviors, health education appeared the most efficacious. These results highlight the need to identify the contexts in which Motivational Interviewing may be most efficacious and question recommendations to use Motivational Interviewing rather than other less complex cessation induction interventions.

African Americans have favorable views of research; however, few are being engaged in studies. Effective interventions to address identified barriers may improve participation and lead to better health outcomes among African Americans.