Cardiovascular Health Screening in Adolescents: Opportunities and Controversies

Objectives: Cardiovascular health continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA. An interprofessional collaborative team comprising university faculty and undergraduate students developed and presented a community outreach event to provide education and health screening to a diverse group of local residents. Design: An event entitled Rhythms of the Heart was planned and implemented to reach community members. Setting: The event took place on the campus of a private college in Central Florida, USA. Methods: Clinical services, including health screening for blood pressure and body fat, were provided, along with information on the benefits of smoking cessation, physical activity, weight management, healthy diet alternatives and stress reduction. Local community resources and educational materials were supplied to event participants. Results: The event attracted approximately 275 guests. An analysis of feedback from attendees indicated a greater appreciation of music to enhance one’s understanding of cardiovascular health. Students and attendees perceived the Rhythms of the Heart concert as ‘smart and creative’, ‘cleverly conceived’ and ‘well thought out’. Conclusion: This interprofessional outreach event provided a novel means by which to undertake community education and health screening.

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Preparticipation Cardiovascular Health Screening Procedures In Health/fitness Facilities: Is Compliance With National Standards Diminishing?

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000353652.71586.51 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 119-120

Author(s):

Judy B. Springer ◽

JoAnn M. Eickhoff-Shemek ◽

Ernest J. Zuberbuehler

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Health Screening ◽

National Standards ◽

Screening Procedures

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Systematic computerised cardiovascular health screening for people with severe mental illness

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.bp.113.045955 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (6) ◽

pp. 280-284 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

David Yeomans ◽

Kate Dale ◽

Kate Beedle

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Information Systems ◽

Physical Health ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Clinical Information ◽

Health Screening ◽

Physical Health Screening

Aims and methodPeople with severe mental illness (SMI) die relatively young, with mortality rates four times higher than average, mainly from natural causes, including heart disease. We developed a computer-based physical health screening template for use with primary care information systems and evaluated its introduction across a whole city against standards recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for physical health and cardiovascular risk screening.ResultsA significant proportion of SMI patients were excluded from the SMI register and only a third of people on the register had an annual physical health check recorded. The screening template was taken up by 75% of GP practices and was associated with better quality screening than usual care, doubling the rate of cardiovascular risk recording and the early detection of high cardiovascular risk.Clinical implicationsA computerised annual physical health screening template can be introduced to clinical information systems to improve quality of care.

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