Community Health Advisory & Information Network (CHAIN)

The Community Health Advisory & Information Network (CHAIN) is an ongoing prospective study of representative samples of persons living with HIV in New York City (NYC) and the Tri-County region. As part of the evaluation, planning and quality management activities supporting local Ryan White Part A services, the mission of CHAIN is to supply data from the perspective of persons living with HIV about their needs for health and human services, their encounters with the continuum of HIV services, and their physical, mental and social wellbeing. CHAIN is conducted through a contract with the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in collaboration with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Public Health Solutions, Inc., the Westchester County Department of Health, the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York, and the New York State Department of Health. A Technical Review Team (TRT), with representation from each of the collaborating institutions, oversees the work of CHAIN. With input from the Planning Council and its committees, the TRT selects topics for investigation, provides feedback on study plans and reviews reports for dissemination. CHAIN collects data through in-person interviews that are designed to capture the diverse views and experiences of people living with HIV.