Please provide a brief description of the intervention (with name, if possible).
Case investigations among people who are or may become pregnant are a rare event for individual Disease Investigation Specialists (DIS) in NYC, which makes sustaining proficiency in working with this population (for whom there are notably different protocols and referrals) challenging. The Congenital Syphilis Prevention Investigator (CPI) model was developed to address this challenge, by designating one specialized DIS per region (eight specialized DIS total) to be assigned all syphilis investigations among people who are or may become pregnant (women aged ≤44).Several activities took place to support implementation of the CPI model including: enhancements to the citywide STI surveillance registry (Maven) to improve documentation, training for CPIs on relevant topics (e.g., prenatal care, CS case definition, syphilis management during pregnancy), specialized referral protocols, interactive sessions to learn tools to engage and build rapport with pregnant people, and strengthening of the partnership between CPI staff and the Health Department’s Social Work-CS Prevention program (described in a separate survey).
Who was/is involved in implementing the intervention (e.g., staff titles, partner organizations, etc.)?
The program was designed and executed primarily by the Director of Surveillance and Field Operations, Director of Case Investigation and Partner Services, Director of Implementation and Improvement, and Regional DIS Supervisors. The Director of Behavioral Health also played a major role in supporting the program, ensuring linkage to the Social Work CS Prevention program, and designing trainings. One Research Scientist supported the development and implementation of the evaluation plan.
If other, please describe.
Health Department Surveillance and Case Investigation/Partner Services
What were/are the primary objectives/goals of this intervention?
The CPI program aims to further prioritize syphilis investigations among people who are or may become pregnant. Increasing CPI’s knowledge and confidence in performing syphilis investigations among people who are or may become pregnant, and strengthening the partnership with the Social Work CS Prevention program, may ultimately lead to improved outcomes in CS prevention.
What were the outcomes of the intervention?
Please provide specific outcomes if possible, such as # or people served, # or % of reaching XYZ outcome, etc.
The evaluation of the CPI model is still underway, though it aims to examine the effectiveness of the Congenital Syphilis Prevention Investigator (CPI) model for averting CS cases in NYC. Specific goals for the evaluation plan are to:
If other, please describe.
Burnout among CPI staff assigned to high volume regions, and COVID-19 work
What else would you recommend or advise to other counties considering this intervention/activity?
After completing the evaluation, we will have a better sense of recommendations for other jurisdictions considering this activity