A Partnership to Translate an Evidence-based Intervention for Vulnerable Older Adults With Heart Disease
A Partnership to Translate an Evidence-based Intervention for Vulnerable Older Adults With Heart Disease
To evaluate the effectiveness of Take Heart, a behavioral/educational program for adults age 50+ with heart disease, or with at least two risk factors for heart disease, that helps them to better manage their health condition(s). Take Heart is a new version of an evidence-based program that has recently been adapted to be suitable for the needs of adults residing in Detroit.
In this study, a heart disease self-management program will be tested in a low-income, predominantly African-American community via a partnership with the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA), the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), and University of Michigan School of Public Health's Center for Managing Chronic Disease (CMCD). The specific aims of the research are to: (1) adapt existing program materials to be appropriate for the new target population, getting feedback from various sources including focus group interviews; (2) conduct a pilot study of the adapted "Take Heart" program; (3) refine the intervention and conduct a randomized trial with 376 participants age 50 years and over, to assess health outcomes; (4) assess the translation and implementation of the intervention in the target setting and identify factors that help and hinder the process; (5) assess cost savings associated with the intervention; and (6) develop guidelines for "scaling up", that is, for replicating the program in other low-income areas through the national network of Area Agencies on Aging.
Inclusion criteria:
50 years or older
1 or more diagnosed cardiovascular conditions, including:
Exclusion Criteria
• Limited fluency in English posing significant barrier to deriving program benefit