Year
2020 - 2021

Project Status
Ongoing

Investigators
Dr Roanna Lobo (Curtin University), Ms Kahlia McCausland (Curtin University), Karina Reeves (Curtin University)

Ethics approval

The project is currently undergoing the Curtin University Ethics approval process.

Brief Overview
The WA SHBBVP has received Methamphetamine Action Plan (MAP) funding to design and pilot test a Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) Mobile App for people who inject drugs (PWID). The app will be launched in December 2020 and the pilot will run until the end of June 2022. The app will provide NSP, harm reduction and methamphetamine-use information and resources, and aims to increase awareness of and access to NSP services by PWID. This research will evaluate the effectiveness of the NSP Mobile App in meeting its objectives. The proposed app responds to findings of the MAP Taskforce Final Report which recommended promoting greater awareness of NSPs to people who need these services. 

A developmental evaluation approach will be employed for this pilot involving formative, process and impact evaluation. Impact evaluation will be conducted by the SiREN team and will comprise three components:

  1. A repeated cross-sectional survey of PWID accessing NSP services and/or using the app to provide a snapshot at two time points
  2. A comparison of occasions of service and distribution of equipment provided by NSPs before and after launching the app
  3. A summative analysis of app analytics/trends after 18 months to monitor uptake of the app and changes in app usage as a result of app promotional activities and app improvements initiated during the pilot.

Funding
The project is funded by the WA Department of Health Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Program, Methamphetamine Action Plan.

Project outputs and impacts

The research is expected to inform public health strategies, service provision, prevention programs, and health education; and can inform the work of service providers, health professionals and policymakers.

Project partners

Curtin University, Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Applied Research and Evaluation Network