Contingency Management and SARS-CoV-2 Testing Among People Who Inject Drugs.
Public Health Rep
; 137(3): 573-579, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1724143
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
People who inject drugs (PWID) are especially vulnerable to morbidity and mortality as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection because of social and physical health vulnerabilities. Routine testing for SARS-CoV-2 is critical to reduce transmission. Contingency management-the provision of tangible rewards to reinforce positive behavior-can promote the use of health services among PWID. Evidence is scarce on the utility of contingency management to promote SARS-CoV-2 testing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of contingency management to increase testing among PWID.METHODS:
SARS-CoV-2 testing was implemented at 9 syringe exchange program sites in partnership with an Oregon-based nonprofit organization for 5 weeks without contingency management and for 6 weeks with contingency management (a $10 financial incentive for testing) from February 1 through mid-April 2021. We measured rates of testing among syringe exchange program clients before and after implementation of contingency management.RESULTS:
Before contingency management, SARS-CoV-2 testing occurred during approximately 131 of 1410 (9.3%) client encounters, and 123 of 997 (12.3%) unique clients were tested. During contingency management, testing occurred during approximately 571 of 1756 (32.5%) client encounters, and 407 of 1151 (35.4%) unique clients were tested. Rates of testing increased from 0.04 (SD, 0.04) before contingency management implementation to 0.25 (SD, 0.15) after implementation (t8 = -3.88; P = .005; Cohen d = 1.46).CONCLUSIONS:
Contingency management facilitated uptake of SARS-CoV-2 testing among PWID. Contingency management may be an effective strategy for improving communicable disease testing beyond testing for SARS-CoV-2 and for improving vaccine uptake among PWID and warrants additional research.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Substance Abuse, Intravenous
/
Drug Users
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Vaccines
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Public Health Rep
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
00333549221074385
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