The Ottawa Mobile Screening Program-Concept and First 18 Months of Experience with a Community-Based Outreach...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly valvular heart disease (VHD), necessitates novel intervention strategies.
• A community-based, mobile screening program using handheld cardiac ultrasound is hypothesized to be feasible for early VHD diagnosis and referral.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the experience and results of an 18-month implementation of a mobile VHD screening program.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of an outreach program for cardiovascular health.

Main Methods:

• Screening included individuals aged 65 years and older without known CV disease in the Ottawa region.
• Combined cardiovascular risk factor assessment with VHD screening.
• Utilized a predefined algorithm for triaging abnormal findings and automatic referral.

Main Results:

• 1817 participants were screened; 7% showed VHD abnormalities and 9% nonvalvular echocardiographic abnormalities.
• Identified elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, or HbA1c in 28% of participants, with 77% newly diagnosed/untreated.
• Participants with VHD were referred to a valve center; others received follow-up advice.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated feasibility of an outreach mobile screening program for VHD and cardiovascular risk factors.
• The program identified significant rates of VHD, nonvalvular abnormalities, and uncontrolled risk factors.
• Highlights the program's potential to enhance population health outcomes through early detection and intervention.