CHDS faculty member Thomas Gaziano, was awarded a five-year grant by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. PRIMECare: Preventing Ischemic Heart Disease with mHealth, electronic decision support, and Community Health Workers, will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of implementing a multi-component intervention to improve management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Argentina.
This study will build upon Gaziano’s previous work partnering with the Argentinian Ministry of Health demonstrating that community health workers (CHWs) can improve disease screening and patient linkage to health care by using a validated mHealth screening tool and electronic scheduling apps.
The PRIMECare intervention will consist of five components: a data management system linking a digital mHealth screening tool used by community health workers, an electronic appointment scheduler, point of care testing for lipids, a clinical decision support system for medication initiation, and a text message reminder system to improve adherence to medications and life-style changes.
The study will assess the costs and effectiveness of the intervention in a randomized controlled trial with two arms across three Argentinian provinces. Gaziano’s team will compare usual, paper-based guidelines to the intervention. The primary outcome of the trial is the mean difference in absolute 10-year CVD risk.
Learn more: Read more about the PRIMECare Project
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