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Impact of Human Resources on Implementing an Evidence-Based HIV Prevention Intervention

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Abstract

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) often require competent staff, or human resources (HR), for implementation. The empirical evidence characterizing the influence of HR fluctuations on EBI delivery is limited and conflicting. Using the Interactive Systems Framework, we explored staff fluctuation and the subsequent influence on RESPECT, an HIV prevention EBI. We conducted interviews with staff in two waves (n = 53, Wave I; n = 37, Wave II) in a national sample of organizations delivering RESPECT (N = 29). We analyzed interviews qualitatively to describe changes among RESPECT staff and explore the subsequent influences on RESPECT implementation. Organizations reported downsizing, turnover, and expansion of staff positions. Staff changes had multiple influences on RESPECT implementation including clients reached, fidelity to specific RESPECT protocols, and overall sustainability of RESPECT over time. HR fluctuations are common, and our analyses provide an initial characterization of the relationship between HR fluctuation and EBI implementation. Given the prominent influence of HR on EBI implementation, the Interactive Systems Framework is a useful guiding tool for future examinations.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant Number R01 MH085502-01, awarded to M. Margaret Dolcini. We would like to thank Sandi Cleveland, PhD, for serving as an additional coder, editor, and sounding board.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, 2631 SW Campus Way, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA

    Virginia R. McKay, M. Margaret Dolcini & Joseph A. Catania

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  1. Virginia R. McKay
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  2. M. Margaret Dolcini
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Correspondence to Virginia R. McKay.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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McKay, V.R., Dolcini, M.M. & Catania, J.A. Impact of Human Resources on Implementing an Evidence-Based HIV Prevention Intervention. AIDS Behav 21, 1394–1406 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1425-7

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