AIDS Education Training Centers’ National Evaluation Center [summary]

The AIDS Education and Training Centers’ National Evaluation Center (AETC NEC) provides evaluation development and technical support to the national AIDS Education and Training program, a network of 11 regional centers conducting targeted, multidisciplinary education and training programs for health care providers treating persons living with HIV/AIDS. Through a national network of more than 130 local performance sites (LPSs) and four national centers, the AETCs target training to providers who serve minority populations, the homeless, rural communities, incarcerated persons, community and migrant health centers, and Ryan White Program-funded sites. As one of the national centers, the AETC NEC’s mission is to provide leadership in the development, design, testing and dissemination of effective evaluation models for determining the effect that AETC clinical education and training programs have on increasing trainee knowledge and skills and improving clinical practice. In collaboration with HRSA/HAB, the specific aims for the Center are:

• Aim 1 (Development): Design and conduct rigorous evaluation research across AETC regions and national centers that will measure the effectiveness and impact of training and education on clinical practice; uncover barriers and challenges to applying new knowledge and skills; and have maximum impact on evaluation practice and policy across the AETC network.
• Aim 2 (Capacity Building): Stimulate innovative evaluation projects and ensure scientific excellence by developing, designing and implementing outcome evaluation projects collaboratively in each region across the AETC network, as well as the organizational capacity to ensure integrity and quality of evaluation research.
• Aim 3 (Replication): Enhance evaluation across the network by adapting proven methods for measuring AETC clinical training outcomes and applying them across local performance sites, regions and national centers.
• Aim 4 (Support): Provide methodological (both quantitative and qualitative) evaluation research design consultation and technical support to AETC regional and national centers as they implement innovative tools and best practices for measuring training outcomes.
• Aim 5 (Dissemination): Disseminate findings from evaluation projects so that they have optimum impact on further HIV clinical education and training programs.