FAX-IN FORMS AS A TECHNOLOGY FOR EVALUATING COMMUNITY PROJECTS - AN EXAMPLE OF HIV RISK REDUCTION

This article describes a new technology that can be easily adapted to permit virtually instantaneous tracking and evaluation of community-ba sed projects that are widely dispersed in the field. Current technolog ies permit special forms to be sent via an ordinary fax machine into a centrally located personal computer equipped with an inexpensive fax modem board. As the faxes are received, hand printed, and ''bubble-cod ed,'' responses are interpreted and automatically stored in a database , ready for instantaneous statistical analysis. An application is desc ribed that uses this technology to track street outreach efforts throu ghout Los Angeles to injection drug users, prostitutes, and others at high risk to contract and spread the human immunodeficiency virus. Tra cking outreach and service efforts provides the capacity for program d irectors to refocus efforts and to ensure that interventions are condu cted in a timely and appropriate manner. The use of up-to-date statist ical summaries and management feedback ensures that the outreach and i ntervention efforts carried on in the poorest inner-city neighborhoods are run efficiently and effectively.