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Women's Heart Advantage Program: the impact 3 years later.
William R Gombeski1, R Kyle Kramer, Lisa Freed
1Marketing & Communications, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
The Journal of Cardiovascular Management : the Official Journal of the American College of Cardiovascular Administrators
|March 9, 2006
Summary
The Women's Heart Advantage program significantly improved women's awareness and recognition of heart disease as a leading killer. This initiative led to increased emergency response and hospital admissions for heart conditions among women.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Cardiology
- Health Communication
Background:
- Heart disease is a leading cause of mortality in women, yet awareness and timely intervention remain suboptimal.
- The Women's Heart Advantage program was established to address critical gaps in women's cardiovascular health knowledge and behaviors.
- Effective health promotion requires integrated strategies encompassing communication, education, and community engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Women's Heart Advantage program on women's awareness, knowledge, and behaviors regarding heart disease.
- To assess changes in emergency response and hospital admission patterns for cardiovascular events among women.
- To determine the effectiveness of a multi-faceted public health intervention in improving women's cardiovascular health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a comprehensive program involving internal communications, public health promotion (24/7 heart line, online Q&A), professional outreach, and community education.
- Conducted telephone surveys of 300 women (ages 40-70) in New Haven County in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 to assess awareness and behaviors.
- Analyzed hospital admission data for cardiac conditions through the emergency department from 2001 to 2004 for both men and women.
Main Results:
- Recognition of heart disease as the leading killer of women aged 40-70 increased from 26% (2001) to 59% (2004).
- Willingness to call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency department for heart symptoms rose from 63% (2002) to 83% (2004).
- Emergency department admissions for women with heart problems saw a 7.5% annual increase (1528 to 1870), contrasting with a low 0.8% annual increase for men.
Conclusions:
- The Women's Heart Advantage program successfully enhanced women's understanding of heart disease risks and improved their behavioral responses to cardiac events.
- The program demonstrated a significant positive impact on women's health, evidenced by increased emergency service utilization and hospital admissions for heart conditions.
- This integrated model, combining clinical, public health, and marketing expertise with strategic partnerships, offers a replicable framework for addressing women's health disparities.