More than a third of adults in Rhode Island have ever been diagnosed with hypertension or high cholesterol, and the state is hoping community health workers can help them manage those risk factors and other chronic conditions, Live Science reports.
According to the state's Department of Health, hypertension is the leading cause of death in the US, while type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of death in the state.
The department's Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke Program has been working to expand the roles of community health workers (CCHWs) in chronic disease management to help people manage these conditions, according to a press release.
In a study published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, researchers found that patients who received support from a CCHW improved their blood pressure, cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1c levels, as well as their confidence in managing their conditions.
"There were individual-level improvements in clinical values for hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes for patients after receiving support from a CCHW in each phase," study co-author Breanne DeWolf says in the press release.
"The average differences in clinical values experienced by patients in the infrastructure phase and performance phase were similar, thereby indicating little impact on chronic disease outcomes by specialty trained CCHWs."
The
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
In the world of social enterprises, failure is a cringe-worthy moment nobody wants to talk about. But, social entrepreneurs can benefit from their failures.