Examining How a Facilitated Self-Sampling Intervention and Testing Navigation Intervention Influences COVID-19 Testing in Vulnerable Populations

The pandemic landscape and people's experiences with testing, infection, and vaccination have changed dramatically over the past two years. Vaccines have become available, testing access in local communities has waxed and waned, and attitudes toward COVID-19 severity and susceptibility have shifted. Navigating the testing-decision landscape is confusing to the public (test availability for free versus charged or requiring insurance; testing and vaccination locations change; PCR versus antigen testing; home tests versus clinically delivered; symptom-based testing, exposure-driven testing, serial testing, resources to trust or not trust, etc.).

This study, referred to as the embedded study, builds off a broader population-based group randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effects of a Facilitated Self-Sampling Intervention and Testing Navigation Intervention on testing behaviors. The embedded study will randomly select and assign priority block groups from the RCT to one of three arms - FSSI (n=16), TNI (n=16), or Control (n= 32). The allocation will be at a 2:1:1 rate across the three regions Houston/Harris County, South Texas, and Northeast Texas respectively. Community Health Workers will systematically sample and recruit 20 individuals from each PBG using a random start procedure. Study participants in the intervention arms will be enrolled, complete a baseline survey, receive a brief educational intervention, and complete a follow-up survey. Participants in the control arm will complete a baseline and follow-up survey.