Leveraging Social Networks to Increase COVID-19 Testing Uptake

Summary

This two-year project will adapt and conduct a trial examining the ability of two recruitment strategies, chain-referral and credible messenger, to reach those who use opioids and other substances in order to increase their uptake of onsite point of care COVID-19 testing that will be delivered in two community based organizations (CBOs): Alliance for Positive Change and Argus Health Inc. In Phase 1, Adapt two implementation strategies to support COVID-19 testing uptake and sustainability, adapting elements of existing efficacious social network-based interventions via a CBPR approach. In Phase 2, we will examine and compare the efficacy of two sets of implementation strategies on (i) reach, (ii) testing uptake, (iii) service delivery (i.e. quarantine, medical care, contact tracing) and (iv) sustainability for individuals who use opioids and other drugs. In Phase 3, Elucidate and compare the system/organizational-, staff-, and individual-level factors that influence implementation (i.e. fidelity, acceptability, feasibility, sustainability) of the strategies to develop a plan for dissemination and scale-up in other CBOs who serve opioid and other substance using individuals in NYC.

Conditions

• Covid-19
• Substance Use
• Opioid Use

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Chain-referral

In the chain-referral intervention, a discrete number of "seeds" will be recruited from the community partners, trained and incentivized to recruit and refer members of their social networks to receive COVID-19 testing. The peer recruiters are paid for each suvcessful and eligible recruit who enrolls to be tested. Those individuals are then themselves trained to recruit peers from their social networks to receive COVID-19 testing. This is repeated over a period of 4-6 months.

BEHAVIORAL

Credible Messenger

In the credible messenger intervention, peers noted to be popular and socially influential individuals with lived experience will be trained to engage within community settings and areas to encourage community members to receive COVID-19 testing at the community partnering agencies. Peers will recruit community members over a period of 4-6 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Alliance for Postive Change

  collaborator OTHER

• Argus Community Inc.

  collaborator OTHER

• Columbia University

  collaborator OTHER

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  collaborator NIH

• New York State Psychiatric Institute

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Katherine Elkington, PhD · New York State Psychiatric Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-04-20

Primary Completion

2022-03-18

Completion

2023-01-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations