Health Education-Risk Reduction – Minority AIDS Initiative
Service Standard
HE/RR MAI Service Standard print version
Health Education/Risk Reduction (HE/RR) Definition
Health Education/Risk Reduction (HE/RR) is the provision of education to clients living with HIV about HIV transmission and how to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. It includes sharing information about medical and psychosocial support services and counseling with clients to improve their health status. Topics covered may include:
- Education on risk reduction strategies to reduce transmission such as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for clients’ partners and treatment as prevention
- Education on health care coverage options (e.g., qualified health plans through the Marketplace, Medicaid coverage, Medicare coverage)
- Health literacy
- Treatment adherence education
Program Guidance:
HE/RR services cannot be delivered anonymously.
Minority AIDS Initiative – Health Education/Risk Reduction Services
HE/RR with MAI can vary greatly from client status (incarceration vs recently released), client knowledge concerning HIV, and time allowed with client. HE/RR models will vary by MAI provider and will focus on education that is most relevant to the client at the encounter. Each provider shall create a curriculum for service workers to follow during their encounter with the client. Topics may include (but are not limited to):
- Information regarding medical and psychosocial support services (ex. services available in the client’s community and how to access services such as clinic, pharmacy, substance use treatment, family counseling, dentist, mental health)
- How to improve/maintain health status (ex. how to continue medication regimen after release, nutrition and self-care, medical treatment adherence for HIV and co-infections, dental treatment information)
- Available resources to meet needs for recently released (services outside medical and psychosocial such as public transportation, homeless shelters, food banks, social service organizations, employment/vocational development agencies)
- Treatment adherence education (ex. how to continue medication regimen after release, how to fill a prescription, availability of PrEP and PEP for partners, healthy relationship options)
- Methods of HIV transmission and risk reduction
- Health literacy (ex. how to communicate needs and concerns to medical providers, how to read lab reports, medication side effects)
- Education on health care coverage options (e.g., qualified health plans through the Marketplace, Medicaid coverage, Medicare coverage, AIDS Drug Assistance Program)
HE/RR shall be provided to people living with HIV and cannot be provided anonymously.
Unit Definition
1 unit= 15 minutes of service
Service Standard and Performance Measure
The following Standards and Performance Measures are guides to improving healthcare outcomes for PLWH throughout the State of Texas within the Ryan White Part B and State Services Program.
| Standard | Measure |
|---|---|
|
Standard: MAI provider will use agency HE/RR curriculum to provide HE/RR to incarcerated and recently released clients. Topics addressed should be prioritized by the client needs, the incarceration status, the environment services are provided, and the amount of time the provider has to spend with the client. |
Measure: Percentage of clients with documentation of specific health and risk reduction topics discussed during HE/RR session. Percentage of clients with documentation of specific social service topics discussed during HE/RR session. |