NEW YORK CITY COLLABORATIVE WORKING GROUP ON HIV INFECTION IN WOMEN

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Component 3 of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) describes the suggested organizational plan for central WIHS activities. The applicant proposed that the WIHS investigators and central staff utilize the prior experience of other federally funded multisite studies to formulate an organizational plan which maximizes scientific and methodologic communication, is optimally efficient in terms of time required from investigators and central WIHS staff, and is cost effective. The model suggested includes proportional representation to the WIHS Executive Committee (EC) from each study site as determined by the enrolled or projected sample size, as well as inclusion on the EC of at least two HIV-infected women who are participants in WIHS. These women can be chosen from the Community Advisory Boards at each WIHS site. It is also suggested that there occur early merger of the WIHS and HERS ECs, to avoid duplication of effort, to ensure scientific uniformity and study design, and to decrease the costs of funding similar programs. In addition, the formation of several WIHS working groups(WG) is suggested, which are analogous to the HERS WG and with one addition. The applicant suggests the formation of a WG concerning project implementation in primary care settings. It is suggested that one HIV-infected women be included in all WG. Communication within the WIHS program may best be accomplished with very few central meetings and with extensive use of conference calls as time efficient and cost effective mechanisms for completing the work of the WGs. Finally, it is strongly suggested that all funded WIHS sites make a commitment to extensive work early in the funding period to guarantee early availability of interview instruments. Delay of availability of interview instruments to month 10 instead of month 7 may have substantial impact on the ability of sites to recruit the required number of subjects by month 18.