npT Labs is proud to announce the forthcoming publication of "PowerON: The use of instant message counseling and the Internet to facilitate HIV/STD education and prevention" in a forthcoming release of the premier Patient Education and Counseling journal. 

"This represents two years of hard work of the University of Washington, Healthy Living Projects, Heartland AIDS Partnership/DIFFA and npT Labs to deliver online HIV and STI education through social network websites" said Dan Melton, PhD, MPA, CEO/Founder of npT Labs. "The outcome of PowerOn is increased HIV/STD screenings and getting patients into treatment. This is especially important with the recently reported 40% increase in HIV incidence by the CDC in 2008"

In 2005 and 2006, a certified HIV prevention counselor spent 5 to 10 hours per week offering health counseling information on three online social networking websites in Kansas City.  The conversations centered on avoiding risky behaviors, places to get tested for HIV/STIs and answering sexual health questions.  

Beyond counseling, the PowerOn program also offered a 300+ page informational website, e-cards and online chat forums with leading experts on health topics.  

"In 2009, we plan to replicate the PowerOn program in 30 other cities" says Melton. County health departments, community based organizations, hospitals or health clinics can purchase the program and implement it locally, increasing the number of clients they serve on less dollars. PowerOn is currently operating in 7 citities and 5 states, including Alaska, Montana, California, Pennslyvania and Mississippi.

PowerOn is a brand implementation of the Chatreach product platform, built by npT Labs in 2007 and 2008 to provide turn-key systems for health organizations to deliver online counseling and referral services through social networking websites.  In mid-2009, npT Labs will launch additional Chatreach brands including a Facebook/MySpace game with Advocates for Youth, health text messaging service with TextCaster, and a social networking advertising system with AdReady.

The abstract can be found below and online at PubMed.

For More Information:
Dan Melton, PhD, MPA
CEO/Founder
npTlabs, llc
Web-driven social change
http://www.nptlabs.com
816.309.7203

Article In Press: Patient Education and Counseling
PowerON: The use of instant message counseling and the Internet to facilitate HIV/STD education and prevention Moskowitz DA, Melton D, Owczarzak J.
Medical College of Wisconsin, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, Internet-based or online counseling has emerged as an effective way to assess psychological disorders and discuss destructive behaviors with individuals or groups of individuals. This study explores the application of online counseling to HIV/STD risk-taking behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM).
METHODS: PowerON, an organization that provides sexual health information to MSM exclusively online, used instant message technology to counsel MSM in real time through computer-mediated means. A sample of 279 transcripts of instant message exchanges between PowerON counselors and Gay.com users were recorded and qualitatively analyzed.
RESULTS: Approximately 43% of the instant message sessions discussed information about HIV/STD testing. Risk-taking behaviors were addressed in 39% of the sessions. Information about HIV/STDs and general counseling were given in 23% and 18% of the counseling sessions, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The data showed these instant message sessions to be a potentially feasible forum for HIV/STD counseling.
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Information ordinarily disseminated at health clinics could be successfully distributed through the Internet to MSM.