A Data Visualization and Dissemination Resource to Support HIV Prevention and Care at the Local Level: Analysis and Uses of the AIDSVu Public Data Resource

Abstract

Background AIDSVu is a public resource for visualizing HIV surveillance data and other population-based information relevant to HIV prevention, care, policy, and impact assessment. Objective The site, AIDSVu.org, aims to make data about the US HIV epidemic widely available, easily accessible, and locally relevant to inform public health decision making. Methods AIDSVu develops visualizations, maps, and downloadable datasets using results from HIV surveillance systems, other population-based sources of information (eg, US Census and national probability surveys), and other data developed specifically for display and dissemination through the website (eg, pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP] prescriptions). Other types of content are developed to translate surveillance data into summarized content for diverse audiences using infographic panels, interactive maps, local and state fact sheets, and narrative blog posts. Results Over 10 years, AIDSVu.org has used an expanded number of data sources and has progressively provided HIV surveillance and related data at finer geographic levels, with current data resources providing HIV prevalence data down to the census tract level in many of the largest US cities. Data are available at the county level in 48 US states and at the ZIP Code level in more than 50 US cities. In 2019, over 500,000 unique users consumed AIDSVu data and resources, and HIV-related data and insights were disseminated through nearly 4,000,000 social media posts. Since AIDSVu’s inception, at least 249 peer-reviewed publications have used AIDSVu data for analyses or referenced AIDSVu resources. Data uses have included targeting of HIV testing programs, identifying areas with inequitable PrEP uptake, including maps and data in academic and community grant applications, and strategically selecting locations for new HIV treatment and care facilities to serve high-need areas. Conclusions Surveillance data should be actively used to guide and evaluate public health programs; AIDSVu translates high-quality, population-based data about the US HIV epidemic and makes that information available in formats that are not consistently available in surveillance reports. Bringing public health surveillance data to an online resource is a democratization of data, and presenting information about the HIV epidemic in more visual formats allows diverse stakeholders to engage with, understand, and use these important public health data to inform public health decision making.

America’s HIV Epidemic Analysis Dashboard: Protocol for a Data Resource to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States

“…A previous analysis of the uses of data from an HIV dashboard [ 7 ] suggested that the examination of local data can lead directly to public health responses that are informed by the geographic areas or populations at highest risks for poor outcomes [ 8 ]. Prior uses of comparative geographic data on morbidity and service locations have led to the development of programs that geographically focus on new resources for prevention or care services [ 8 ].…”

“…Accordingly, the EHE initiative requires the effective use of data to identify baseline levels of new HIV infections, establish 5-year and 10-year goals for reductions in transmissions, monitor interim progress toward these goals, and provide the jurisdictions responsible for public health with tools to easily illustrate progress and areas of opportunities to local prevention providers and stakeholders. Although existing online tools provide access to HIV surveillance and related data in graphical and tabular formats [ 6 , 7 ], the existing tools are not specific to the EHE initiative and are not organized around either the explicit goals of EHE, the EHE jurisdictions, or the 4 EHE key strategies. Further, experience with other dashboard tools suggests that the mechanisms by which dashboards can promote changes in public health programs include the opportunity for a comparative assessment of indicators among jurisdictions [ 8 ].…”

Integrating and Disseminating Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Screening and Dispensing for Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in Atlanta, Georgia: Protocol for Community Pharmacies

“…For pharmacists (n=10) and technicians (n=10), all pharmacies in the highest HIV zip code in Atlanta, as shown by AIDSVu, were identified. AIDSVu is an online, interactive display of HIV prevalence across the US [ 33 ]. Using an existing list of all pharmacies in the state of Georgia obtained from the Georgia Board of Pharmacy, we generated a list of pharmacies from high HIV zip codes and then randomly called each pharmacy to determine whether pharmacists or technicians were interested in participating in the study.…”

HIV in the USA: priorities for the new administration

“…6 Southern US states, where 38% of the US population live, 7 are especially impacted: the south accounted for over half of all new HIV diagnoses in 2018. 7,8 Eight of the 12 states that have not yet expanded Medicaid are in the south, 9 underscoring overlapping public health crises of ongoing HIV transmission and insufficient political will to expand coverage for health care.…”