Building Capacity in Health Care Providers to Effectively CommunicateHealth Risk Information related to HIV with Clients and Patients. Phase 1.

The aim of The Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) is to help combat the spread of HIV by supporting, conducting, and sharing the best research possible. This project will involve a novel analysis incorporating focus groups with front-line service providers and key informants to help determine the factors that most influence the perception of HIV risk. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the challenges front-line health providers face when communicating about HIV risk with clients and to develop a style guide for communicating about risk with clients of differing needs (e.g., health literacy). This project will contribute to providing practical tools that will help front-line service providers build and develop skills in health communication and knowledge translation. This project will inform the development of evidence-based modules that will be distributed via the OHTN as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at academic conferences.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ken Cramer

Student:

Shayna Skakoon-Sparling

Partner:

Ontario HIV Treatment Network

Discipline:

Psychology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Windsor