Heart Disease / Stroke
AIAN were 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than their white counterparts.
Strategy 4 aims to support heart disease and stroke prevention amongst American Indians and Alaska Natives by implementing evidence-informed and culturally adaptive community clinical linkages. The primary objective of this strategy is to increase participation in self-management and treatment programs amongst individuals with high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol.
Activities:
- Expand engagement of community health representatives and other health paraprofessionals to become effective members of chronic disease prevention/ management teams within their local health care systems to manage and refer community members with or at high risk of high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol to appropriate and locally available health and preventive care programs.
- Implement team-based care, including non-physician team members (e.g., nurses, pharmacists, patient navigators) in managing patients with or at risk for high blood pressure and/or high blood cholesterol.
- Develop culturally-relevant materials and approaches to link tribal/village resources and clinical services to support prevention, detection, and control of high blood pressure and/or high blood cholesterol.
Outcomes:
- Increased number of patients with high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol engaged in self-management and treatment programs.
