Mešić is a PhD Candidate in Implementation Science in the Department of Global Health at the UW School of Public Health. She is also a NIH/Fogarty International Center Global Health Scholar.
Her project is titled, “Built environment interventions for reductions in road traffic collisions, injuries, and deaths on major roads in Ghana: an effectiveness-implementation hybrid study.”
Abstract: There is a limited understanding of evidence-based interventions that can reduce the burden of road traffic collisions and injuries in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). As in other LMICs, road injuries and deaths are a major public health problem in Ghana. Since 1991, Ghana has been one of few countries in Africa collecting comprehensive and spatially detailed data on motor vehicle collisions, injuries, and deaths, enabling it to lead efforts on data-informed road safety decision-making. We are proposing to utilize geo-referenced data to assess the impact of two built environment interventions (dualization of roads, overhead footbridges) on major roads in Ghana. We will conduct two separate analyses: 1) a controlled interrupted time series on the impact of dualization on counts of collisions, minor injuries, major injuries, and deaths compared to no dualization on major roads, 2) an uncontrolled interrupted time series on the impact of footbridges on counts of collisions, minor injuries, major injuries, and deaths. We will document and assess implementation. For dualization, we will collect detailed information about the dates and details of implementation. For footbridges, we will collect quantitative data at the sites to measure utilization, and qualitative data to understand perspectives on adoption, acceptability, and appropriateness. Understanding the intervention effectiveness and the implementation effectiveness will provide Ghanaian implementors critical information for scale-up efforts. Lessons learned from this study may also be applicable to other LMICs aiming to generate road safety evidence. Mešić will be mentored by Drs. Charles Mock and Barclay Stewart.
Almquist is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Health systems and Population Health at the UW School of Public Health. He is also a Graduate Research Assistant at CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy (CoLab) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UW School of Medicine.
His project is titled, “Sustaining Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs.”
Abstract: Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) enroll violently injured patients into intensive case-management services to prevent further violence. HVIPs do this by addressing the social determinants of health and modifiable risk factors leading to violence. HVIPs represent one of the few interventions outside of law enforcement targeting community-level violence. Roughly 40 fully operational programs exist nationwide, all of which were established within the last 30 years. Yet, we know relatively little about the effective sustainment of HVIPs. Most studies of HVIPs have examined programmatic outcomes, including trauma recidivism, criminal or legal involvement, and cost savings. These studies provide important data on HVIP effectiveness but provide little information about their long-term implementation. No published research exists regarding programs that may have started and failed. Meanwhile, only one known effort to replicate a well-established HVIP into a new context, now more than a decade old, exists in the scientific literature. Ultimately, we know little about the drivers of long-term HVIP sustainability. This study will identify the determinants of long-term HVIP sustainability using a Delphi panel of practitioner-experts drawn from leadership of existing programs. Participants will establish consensus on core components of program sustainability, emphasizing components with practical applications for program leaders. This study will contribute to the knowledge base on HVIP implementation and to the wider body of implementation research on sustainability. Identifying determinants of HVIP sustainability will provide valuable insight for researchers and program practitioners to ensure the next generation of HVIPs transition from emerging to thriving, long-lasting programs. Almquist will be mentored by Dr. Christian Helfrich.
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The award is funded by the Frederick P. Rivara Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center Endowment. Inspired by Dr. Fred Rivara’s work and HIPRC’s accomplishments, the endowment supports career development activities and pilot research projects for trainees. With it, we pay tribute to Dr. Rivara’s profound dedication to injury control and prevention across the lifespan, while continuing to support HIPRC’s lifesaving work.