# Implementation and Dissemination of 'Gabby,' a Health Information Technology (HIT) System for Young Women, into Community-Based Clinical Sites

> **NIH AHRQ R18** · BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $388,124

## Abstract

Project Summary/ Abstract
Background. The Gabby Preconception Care system is an innovative communication system
designed to identify and mitigate or resolve health risks for young Black and African American
(AA) women before pregnancy, as a means of reducing racial health disparities in birth
outcomes. “Gabby” is an online animated character that simulates face-to-face conversation
and engages women in an empathic dialogue to educate them about their health risks. The
system was shown to significantly reduce participants’ risks in a randomized control trial.
Goal. The project’s goal is to disseminate the Gabby Health Information Technology system in
the real-world setting of 12 community-based health providers, study the implementation
process, and prepare an implementation toolkit to facilitate broader dissemination.
Significance. This work will introduce Gabby into Healthy Start and Community Health Center
(CHC) sites serving low-income, minority women, a group AHRQ has identified as a high priority
population. The dissemination of a low-cost, user-friendly, culturally competent, evidence-
based, scalable intervention to improve the health of young AA women is critical to reaching a
number of Healthy People 2020 objectives including: 1) Maternal, Infant, and Child Health:
reducing the number of infant deaths (MICH-1.3) and preterm live births (MICH-9.1); and 2)
Reproductive and Sexual Health service delivery to females aged 15-44 years (FP-7.1).
Methods. Our implementation approach includes: 1) Engaging 6 Healthy Start sites and 6
CHCs; 2) assessing the workflow and readiness of clinical sites; 3) implementing Gabby at
clinical sites; 4) assembling a preliminary, revised, and final implementation toolkit; and 5)
broadly disseminating the toolkit and results of the implementation. Input from an Advisory
Board and a modified Delphi panel will guide implementation efforts and toolkit development.
Data sources include qualitative and quantitative methods, such as surveys/ assessments, key
informant interviews, system-generated data, learning communities, and implementation logs.
Evaluation will focus on site recruitment, training, and engagement; client engagement; clinical
risk reduction; toolkit, technical assistance, and support resources; and dissemination efforts.
Outcomes. This project will determine the extent to which Gabby is successfully disseminated
to and implemented at community-based clinical sites. A comprehensive toolkit will be created
for use in future dissemination of the evidence-based Gabby system, which is unprecedented in
its innovative delivery of health promotion and risk reduction messaging—a promising approach
for the reduction of health disparities for Black and AA women.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9934195
- **Project number:** 5R18HS025131-04
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN William JACK
- **Activity code:** R18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $388,124
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9934195

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9934195, Implementation and Dissemination of 'Gabby,' a Health Information Technology (HIT) System for Young Women, into Community-Based Clinical Sites (5R18HS025131-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9934195. Licensed CC0.

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