Medical Monitoring Project (MMP)

Completing a telephone interview?

Download response cards (459 KB).

General information

Overview

The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) is a surveillance project designed to produce locally and nationally representative data on people living with HIV/AIDS who are receiving care in the United States. Washington state (including Seattle & King County) is one of 23 jurisdictions that are involved in MMP.

Objectives

MMP aims to provide a deeper understanding of the health related experiences and needs of people living with HIV/AIDS who are receiving HIV care in the U.S. The objectives of the project are to:

• Provide locally and nationally representative estimates of behaviors and clinical outcomes of persons in care for HIV;
• Describe health related behaviors;
• Determine accessibility and utilization of prevention and support services;
• Monitor the receipt of care and treatment services; and
• Examine how the above factors vary by locality and patient characteristics.

Data uses

People living with HIV/AIDS, HIV prevention community planning groups, Ryan White CARE Act planning councils and consortia, HIV care providers, and other policy makers and service planners may use MMP data for planning activities. MMP provides valuable state and national estimates of health care utilization, quality of care, severity of need, and effectiveness of prevention messages, which are used to inform the design and improvement of HIV programs and decisions pertaining to resource allocation.

Project procedures

A random sample of people living with HIV is drawn each year. Health department staff contact sampled individuals and invite them to complete a 60-minute health survey that includes questions concerning their medical history, use of medical and social services, and risk behaviors. MMP participants are asked to permit trained MMP abstractors to access their medical records to collect additional information about their HIV care. Participants are compensated for their time. All protected health information is kept secure and confidential and is protected by federal law.

Participatory boards

Community Advisory Board

A national Community Advisory Board (CAB), comprised of a local representative from each of the 23 project areas, serves as a link between MMP staff and patients who participate in the project. The CAB includes a diverse group of individuals who are all concerned about the wellbeing of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the community and the quality of care they receive. As community advocates, CAB members convey the patient's perspective to local and national MMP staff. CAB members work closely with MMP staff contributing to the design and implementation of the project.

Provider Advisory Board

MMP also has a national Provider Advisory Board (PAB) consisting of an HIV care provider from each project area. The PAB represents large, medium, and small HIV care facilities in both rural and urban locales. It fosters collaboration between local and national MMP staff and HIV care providers. Offering the provider's perspective, PAB members advise local and national MMP staff on aspects related to the development and implementation of MMP.