CVD management through engaging the Jackson Heart Study community

Introduction: The Community Outreach Center (CORC) of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) seeks to reach the community to disseminate research findings and to facilitate the initiation of successful intervention with our community partners. We want to make a difference in the prevalence of CVD among African Americans in Mississippi. We strive to translate research findings to the community in a culturally appropriate and timely manner, and we present the strategies used by CORC to promote the type of awareness and capacity building to facilitate effective cardiovascular disease management.Methods: Through our numerous community events, CORC staff solicited input from JHS study participants and other interested community members regarding the most appropriate and efficient methods to disseminate research findings. CORC staff also sought contributions from study participants about their chosen methods and manner of information dissemination. Results: Some steps to facilitate effective dissemination include: (1) Developing a budget that supports dissemination efforts, (2) Developing a timeline for dissemination efforts, and (3) Developing a list of resources that would be used to make research results available to various audiences. Conclusions: Cardiovascular disease research findings must be disseminated by professionals who have the desire and expertise in communicating effectively to community groups and stakeholders. Researchers must use multiple methods to disseminate findings to study participants, and they should also make it a mandatory deliverable to disseminate research progress and findings to agencies and service providers that serve members of the research participants’ communities.