This is a Type 1 hybrid effectiveness study involving a community-level, controlled quasi-experimental trial to assess the impact of a community-tailored harm reduction kiosk on HIV, HCV, and overdose risk in rural Appalachia, and a mixed methods evaluation of implementation outcomes. The trial will compare the standard local syringe service program (SSP) design (brick-and-mortar, staffed by department of health staff) to an enhanced model involving a harm reduction kiosk + standard SSP. The kiosk, referred to as the KyOSK (Kentucky Outreach Service Kiosk) will be tailored through a community-engaged adaptation process. For evaluation of the KyOSK's impact on HCV and overdose risk behavior, the investigators will enroll 700 People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) in the intervention (n=400) and comparison (n=300) counties, collectively referred to as the kiosk trial cohort. The kiosk trial cohort will be recruited from three sources: existing cohorts of PWUD, SSPs, and peer-referral. Throughout the trial and following the implementation outcome framework (IOF) measurement model by Proctor et al., acceptability, appropriateness, fidelity, cost, penetration, and sustainability will be assessed using a combination of validated scales, qualitative interviews, checklists, invoices, and program data. Following the trial, the investigators will use data collected from the kiosk cohort and implementation outcome assessment (primarily cost and reach) in a dynamic, deterministic model of HCV transmission and overdose to examine the impact and cost-effectiveness of the KyOSK model.
This study will test the effectiveness, implementation outcomes, and cost effectiveness of a community-tailored, harm reduction kiosk in reducing HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose risk behavior in rural Appalachia. The proposed project will take place in two counties in Appalachian Kentucky, an epicenter for the intertwined national crises of injection drug use, overdoses, and hepatitis C.