The Center for Health Improvement and Prevention Studies (CHIPS) at the
University of California San Francisco is a multi-disciplinary research
team. We conduct clinically-relevant behavioral research to improve the
practice of risk-behavior prevention by health care providers. Over the
past 20 years, our research group has studied health care providers' and
patients' attitudes and behaviors regarding sensitive behavioral risk
areas such as domestic violence, substance use, and smoking. Current
projects involve health care settings including dental care, HIV care,
and prenatal care.
One of our current studies is Positive Choice, which features an interactive computer program that supports the prevention efforts of HIV care providers. To support and simplify the HIV care providers' role, CHIPS has created a cutting-edge multimedia computer program for patients, featuring an in-depth risk assessment, tailored and interactive messages from a "video doctor," and printouts that cue providers to patients' risks and suggest brief risk-reduction messages. The Positive Choice study is a randomized, controlled trial to determine whether integrating the multimedia computer program and provider cueing into patients' routine health care visits can reduce patients' alcohol and drug use and risky sexual behavior.