What do providers and community members think about disease intervention specialists (DIS)? Provider and community member assessments in New York City

BACKGROUND: Disease intervention specialists (DIS) effectively interrupt population-level spread of diseases including STIs. Health care provider and patient engagement is critical to DIS' success. Few studies have examined attitudes towards DIS among these groups. METHODS: We invited 634 providers from STI, HIV, and viral hepatitis partnerships with the New York City (NYC) Health Department and 412 members of a NYC Health Department-led community advisory group, to take provider and community surveys regarding awareness, perceptions, and experiences with DIS. Results were summarized across surveys by shared themes: awareness of DIS' role, experiences with DIS, and perceptions of DIS. RESULTS: Provider and community surveys yielded 73 and 86 responses, respectively, for response rates of 11.5% and 20.9%. Provider and community awareness of DIS responsibilities were as follows: partner notification, 74.0% (provider survey) and 89.5% (community survey); linkage to care, 72.6% and 92.1%; partner services, 69.9% and 86.8%. Confidentiality was the top barrier noted by providers (16.4%). Among community respondents, 13.1% and 23.7% incorrectly believed DIS could disclose identifying health information to a patient's neighbors or friends, or to law enforcement, respectively. Overall, 56 providers and 44 community respondents had previous DIS interactions; of those, 78.8% and 74.4% reported positive experiences. CONCLUSIONS: In our modest sample or urban providers and community members, we observed high overall awareness of DIS responsibilities though lower for providers. Community findings suggest misperceptions about DIS relating to confidentiality and privacy of health information. Education to clarify and boost awareness of DIS may increase comfort, trust, and engagement.