It's no secret that people living in rural communities across the United States — 20 percent of the country's population — face healthcare challenges that contribute to heart disease.
The question is: What can be done about it?
A network of researchers, funded by a $20 million American Heart Association initiative, are not only looking to better understand the reasons individual risk factors and social determinants of health hit rural areas particularly hard, but also plan to develop strategies to connect research to real-world practice, according to a June 25 news release from the Seattle-based University of Washington.
Individuals who reside in rural areas of the U.S. are "40 percent more likely to develop heart disease and have a 30 percent higher risk of stroke than urban-area residents," according to the news release, noting obesity, hypertension, diabetes and tobacco use, all risk factors for heart and brain health, are more common in these regions.
Chris Longenecker, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and director of UW's Global Cardiovascular Health Program, will oversee the entire study, which includes researchers in Washington and four other states — California, Ohio, Oregon and North Carolina. Each site will conduct a distinct investigation as part of the overall study.
"Our network will generate evidence for strategies to reduce persistent rural health inequities in the United States. We'll use technologies like mobile health, drones and artificial intelligence-guided heart ultrasound, and build capacity among health professionals such as pharmacists, emergency medical service providers and community health workers," Dr. Longenecker said.
Additionally, the team plans to take a close look at how geography limits access to healthcare in the U.S. It will also examine how other countries manage similar healthcare delivery models in search of lessons that can be learned.