Dataset from SCALE UP Utah II: Community-Academic Partnership to Address COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Among Utah Community Health Centers

Background: The purpose of this study was to increase the reach, uptake, and sustainability of COVID-19 testing among underserved populations across Utah. This study built on SCALE-UP Utah, which had successfully implemented population health management (PHM) interventions to promote COVID-19 testing and vaccination among Community Health Center (CHC) patients. SCALE-UP II sought to extend these efforts and evaluate novel interventions designed to address vaccine and testing hesitancy in low socioeconomic status, racially and ethnically diverse, and rural/frontier populations.

Materials/Methods: This state-wide, pragmatic study was conducted among 11 CHC systems and 38 clinics across Utah. The study used a population health management (PHM) framework leveraging widely available technologies such as cell phones and text messaging to facilitate communication and outreach. SCALE-UP II expanded on prior PHM interventions by introducing and testing novel strategies, including Conversational Agents and Reactive Patient Navigation, which were tailored to address individual hesitancy factors and explore the relationship between vaccination and testing behaviors.

Outcome/Impact: The intended outcomes were to determine the effectiveness of innovative, technology-driven interventions in increasing COVID-19 testing uptake, sustaining engagement, and reducing hesitancy in underserved populations. Findings were expected to inform scalable models for CHCs to enhance equitable access to testing and vaccination through patient-centered digital and population health approaches.