CHW InterventionPatient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Study of Home-based Interventions to Prevent CA-MRSA Infection Recurrence

The overall goal of the project is to develop and evaluate a home-based intervention to prevent re-infection and transmission of Community-Acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in patients presenting to primary care with skin or soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Centers for Disease Control (CDC) CA-MRSA guidelines include incision and drainage, antibiotic sensitivity testing and antibiogram-directed prescribing. Re-infections are common, ranging from 16% to 43%, and present significant challenges to clinicians, patients and their families. Several decolonization and decontamination interventions have been shown to reduce Hospital-Acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) re-infection and transmission in intensive care units. Few studies examine the feasibility and effectiveness of these infection prevention interventions into primary care settings, and none employ Community Health Workers (CHWs) or "promotoras" to provide home visits for education and interventions about decolonization and decontamination. This comparative effectiveness research/patient centered outcomes research builds upon a highly stakeholder-engaged community-academic research and learning collaborative, including practicing clinicians, patients, clinical and laboratory researchers, and barbers/beauticians. Clinical Directors Network (CDN), an established, NIH-recognized best practice Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Practice-based Research Network (PBRN), and The Rockefeller University propose to address this question through the completion of four aims: (1) To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of a CHW/Promotora-delivered home intervention (Experimental Group) as compared to Usual Care (Control Group) on the primary patient-centered and clinical outcome (SSTI recurrence rates) and secondary patient-centered and clinical outcomes (pain, depression, quality of life, care satisfaction) using a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT). (2) To understand the patient-level factors (CA-MRSA infection prevention knowledge, self-efficacy, decision-making autonomy, prevention behaviors/adherence) and environmental-level factors (household surface contamination, household member colonization, transmission to household members) that are associated with differences in SSTI recurrence rates. (3) To understand interactions of the intervention with bacterial genotypic and phenotypic variables on decontamination, decolonization, SSTI recurrence, and household transmission. (4) To explore the evolution of stakeholder engagement and interactions among patients and other community stakeholders with practicing community-based clinicians and academic laboratory and clinical investigators over the duration of the study period.