Using Vascular Deserts as a Guide for Limb Preservation Outreach Programs Successfully Targets Underserved...

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Public Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Vascular deserts, defined as regions lacking vascular providers, are critical targets for limb salvage initiatives.
• The Comprehensive Heart and Multidisciplinary Limb Preservation Outreach Networks (CHAMPIONS) program was designed to address these disparities through targeted outreach and population assessment using specialized mapping tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the CHAMPIONS program in identifying and screening populations in underserved vascular desert regions for peripheral arterial and cardiovascular disease (PACD).
• To analyze the demographic and social determinants of health of participants in targeted vascular deserts.

Main Methods:

• Conducted two outreach events in underserved regions between 2022 and 2023, screening and educating participants on PACD.
• Utilized geographic information system (GIS) mapping to identify vascular providers and facilities, overlaying participant census data and the Healthy Places Index (HPI) to analyze social determinants of health within medical service study areas (MSSA).

Main Results:

• Participants were predominantly Hispanic (86%), with significant rates of undiagnosed diabetes (10%) and hypertension (40%).
• A high percentage of participants reported low annual income (81% <$30,000) and lacked health insurance (28%).
• The targeted population exhibited greater disadvantages in economic, educational, and transportation domains compared to other vascular desert regions, correlating with reduced healthcare access.

Conclusions:

• The CHAMPIONS program successfully identified and screened at-risk populations in vascular deserts for cardiovascular disease.
• The study demonstrates the feasibility of using vascular care desert maps to target and engage underserved populations for essential health screenings.