In 2016, the Division of Global Populations and Infectious Disease Prevention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) received a three-year CDC grant to demonstrate a feasible, scalable program to expand latent tuberculosis infection (LBTI) testing and treatment. The program is focused on high-risk individuals in Lynn, Massachusetts, and Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) is the lead clinical partner. MDPH sub-contracted ICH to conduct an external evaluation of the demonstration project. ICH is conducting a mixed methods evaluation that includes key informant interviews, patient interviews, community focus groups, surveys, and quantitative data from LCHC on testing and treatment rates. The data collected through the evaluation has helped MDPH and LCHC identify gaps in the care of high-risk individuals and areas of focus to ensure that the program meets community needs. In the third and final grant year, ICH will be collecting data to inform an economic evaluation of the program and will be working with MDPH to facilitate project sustainability and replication at other health centers.
