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Public health detailing is emerging as a core intervention to improve screening, adequate treatment, and disease reporting for STI and HIV prevention across the country.  Public health detailing is educational outreach between a trained public health detailer with a medical provider for the purpose of delivering tailored training and technical assistance and to encourage best practices based on scientific recommendations.  It is sometimes called provider outreach, provider visitation, or provider or academic detailing. This is accomplished by brief one-on-one visits. The visit assesses the extent which the provider implements a recommendation. Then together, we find solutions for meeting the recommendation by discussing clinic barriers and questions. To read more about this research supported programming that is used throughout the world click here.  

The Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Diseases Unit in partnership with North Dakota State University Public Health Program have developed the Public Health Detailing Program that focuses on sexual health history taking, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, prevention of congenital syphilis, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) treatment for HIV prevention, and nPEP (non-occupational Post Exposure Prophylaxis) treatment to prevent HIV acquisition.

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Visits are one-on-one to focus on the individual needs of a healthcare provider and are typically kept between 15 and 20 minutes. Visits can be performed in-person or virtually.  The first visit is guided by a public health detailer to identify the needs of each healthcare provider and their office.  Added support can be provided, as needed, to the office or healthcare provider.  

Providers can meet to discuss HIV and STI related topics, including:

  • Reducing missed opportunities for preventing STI and HIV incidence
  • Taking a sexual health history
  • Recommended STI screening 
  • Implementing three-site screening for chlamydia & gonorrhea
  • HHS recommendations for three-time syphilis screening during pregnancy 
  • Universal HIV screening
  • Increasing PrEP awareness and prescribing PrEP
  • Providing post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP)

NDHHS partners with NDSU Department of Public Health to offer this detailing program. There are three staff members of the detailing program:

Amanda Tuura, MPH, RN, BSN
amanda.tuura@ndsu.edu
701.231.1829

Amanda Tuura is one of the HIV.STI Outreach Coordinators with North Dakota State University Department of Public Health.  In her current role, she is assisting with the implementation of a public health detailing program in partnership with NDHHS with a focus on reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted infections and HIV in North Dakota.  The goal of the detailing program is to engage in one-to-one meetings with healthcare providers to deliver evidence-based resources and tools that outline best practice information and lead to improved patient outcomes.

Amanda completed her Masters of Public Health in August of 2020 from Chamberlain University. She completed her Bachelors in Nursing in May of 2014 from Herzing University and is a licensed Registered Nurse. She has worked in public health for eight years, in a variety of positions to include addictions nursing, school nursing, communicable disease, and research. She recently relocated to Fargo from Wisconsin and has enjoyed learning about the community and utilizing her knowledge, experience, and lessons learned to impact health outcomes of North Dakotans.

Outside of work, Amanda enjoys exploring the outdoors and soaking up family time with her husband, Chad, and their children, Tuck and Nora.

Sarah Weninger, MPH
sweninger@nd.gov
701.328.2366

Sarah Weninger is the HIV.STI.Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator with the Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Diseases Division at NDHHS.  Sarah has been with NDHHS for 17 years and in this role for the past 10 years.  In this role, Sarah manages the counseling, testing and referral (CTR) program which offers free rapid HIV and hepatitis C testing at partner sites throughout North Dakota.  Sarah has focuses on developing public education materials and campaigns as well as creating providing educational tools.  Sarah manages the detailing program and aims to ensure North Dakota health care providers are implementing sexual health care best practice recommendations.  

Sarah completed her Masters of Public Health from Des Moines University in December 2013 and a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from NDSU in 2008. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, swimming and spending quality time with her husband Eric and son Tucker.  

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Resources for Healthcare Providers
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Resources for Healthcare Providers

There are many resources available for health care professionals about syphilis.  Here are health alerts issued by the NDDoH on syphilis as well as training opportunities: 

Contact the HIV.STI.Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, Sarah Weninger at sweninger@nd.gov, for additional syphilis training opportunities including syphilis in-person educational presentations.  

2021 STI Treatment Guidelines
CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines, 2021 provides current evidence-based prevention, diagnostic and treatment recommendations that replace the 2015 guidance. The recommendations are intended to be a source for clinical guidance. Healthcare providers should always assess patients based on their clinical circumstances and local burden.

Recommendations for Providing Quality Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinical Services, 2020 | MMWR (cdc.gov)
Recommendations for Providing Quality STD Clinical Services (or STD QCS) highlights the services healthcare settings can offer to provide the highest-quality STD care to their patients. STD QCS can help guide clinical operations, while the Treatment Guidelines focus on the clinical management of patients. Healthcare professionals can use the recommendations to identify opportunities to build, maintain, or enhance the delivery of their services.

There are several opportunities for healthcare professionals to earn continuing education for STI related content.