The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #51512

Lisa Benz Scott¹, Martha Hill, PhD, RN², Lee Bone, MPH, RN², Mary Roary, MHS², Dwyan Y. Monroe, BA, RN³, and Leon Purnell⁴. (1) Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, 301/565.9765, labscott2000@yahoo.com, (2) Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 525 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, (3) School of Nursing, Center for Nursing Research, Johns Hopkins University, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, (4) The Men's Center Inc., 2222 Jefferson Street, Baltimore, MD 21205

Described is a partnership between an urban academic health center and a community-based minority health and social service organization that evolved as part of a multi-year clinical trial. The trial evaluated the effect of a community and clinic-based intervention delivered by a nurse practitioner - community health worker - physician team on high blood pressure care and control (HBPCC) among 309 black males aged 18-54 years (age=41 + 5.6 years; 41% unemployed, 73% income <$10,000/year, 50% no health insurance, 45% illicit drug abuse). The goal of the partnership is to translate an effective intervention into improved clinical care and sustain HBPC. Among the components of the research that are being translated into community practice are an impressive tracking and follow-up protocol to maintain high rates of participation (> 90%), and a team approach to care that has shown statistically significant improvements in HBPCC. The integration of evidence-based clinical care into existing community-based services has involved several partnership-building steps to date, including delineating a partnership goal and action plan, preparing a memorandum of understanding, approving informed consent procedures, conducting an assessment of community-clinic needs and resources, and evaluating HBPCC in the context of an inner-city community clinic setting. This ongoing academic-community partnership offers important lessons learned for researchers and their community partners who are interested in participatory research methods applied to the translation of evidence-based interventions into effective and sustained community-based health services.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will understand how principles of partnership have been put into action by a team of academic researchers, community-health workers, and community-based service providers to translate effective evidence-based high blood pressure care and control into community-owned and operated clinical practice.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.