Online Program

283345
Can quality improvement models work on a community level?


Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Andrea Pinzon-Marquardt, MPH, Division of Prevention and Wellness, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
Bonnie Andrews, MPH, CPH, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
Mariana Arcaya, ScD, MCP, Society Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Wenjun Li, PhD, Health Statistics and Geography Lab, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
Barbara Olendzki, RD, MPH, Health Statistics and Geography Lab, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
James Buszkiewicz, MPH, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
Joshua Vogel, MPH, Office of Statistics and Evaluation, Bureau of Community Health Access and Prevention, Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health, Boston, MA
Alana Taormina, MA, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
Thomas Land, PhD, Bureau of Community Health and Prevention, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
The overall goal of the Community Transformation Grants (CTG) is to reduce rates of adult obesity, tobacco use, and death and disability due to cardiovascular disease. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) was awarded 2 CTG which have provided the opportunity to develop a continuous quality improvement process for 52 funded communities. Individualized community progress reports were developed as a way to create uniform measures of effectiveness and set process targets, as well as community health goals. MDPH compiled data from 14 data sources to develop feedback reports for annual distribution. Small area estimation was used to calculate community-level estimates of three modifiable chronic disease risk factors: nutrition, physical activity, and smoking; and three chronic disease outcomes: hypertension, obesity, and heart disease. To provide a community-specific picture of the environment, data was collected on neighborhood walkability, park safety, and availability of healthy foods in local food stores and restaurants. In January 2013, MDPH distributed Progress Reports to all funded communities. Nearly all report functions were compiled using an automated process. Preliminary data has shown clear differences between communities in both walkability and healthy food availability. These reports can be used not only to inform progress and adjust activities in order to meet program objectives, but also to measure the impact of activities on vulnerable populations and ensure focus on health equity. Coordinators can use information provided annually to improve implementation of initiatives based on the current availability of healthy foods, walkability and demographic makeup of their communities.

Learning Areas:

Communication and informatics
Epidemiology
Program planning
Public health or related education
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe how continuous quality improvement can be used to improve community health outcomes Demonstrate how to use data about the food environment inform progress on community initiatives Evaluate the effectiveness of using continuous quality improvement in a community setting

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been an epidemiologist for the community transformation grants in Massachusetts. I help evaluate the implementation of community initiatives. I am the project leader on the development of the progress reports for 52 funded communities. My interests have been focused in developing a continuous quality improvement process to create uniform measures of effectiveness and inform community work
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.