Health Disparities
Collaborative
Health
Disparities Collaborative
About
the Northeast Cluster Collaborative
Staff
Information
Systems Support
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The
Health Disparities Collaborative is one of the most important
health initiatives undertaken in the history of community health
centers. Launched by the Bureau of Primary Health Care in 1999,
the initiative was driven by two needs in America 's health system:
eliminating health disparities among medically underserved populations
and increasing access to health care for all. To address these
needs, the focus of the Health Disparities Collaborative is to
improve the quality of care to people with chronic diseases such
as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and depression. Quality
care is care that is safe, effective, timely, patient/family-centered
and results in optimal health for all.
By
joining a Health Disparities Collaborative, community health center
teams learn how to redesign all aspects of their health care system
through the use of the Care Model to improve clinical outcomes
in patients with chronic disease. The Care Model is a blueprint
for improvement using a systems approach that incorporates six
key components of the health care system: Community, Health
Care Organization, Self-Management, Delivery System Design, Decision
Support and Clinical Information Systems. The model emphasizes
a productive patient/provider interaction to help the patient
engage in his or her health management. Provider care is standardized
and driven by evidence-based clinical guidelines. Disease registries
are computer-based and provide an up-to-date source of patient
and population clinical data. Health centers are encouraged to
partner with community organizations to leverage health programs
and resources for patients. These improvements have led to improved
blood pressure control, appropriate use of drugs for asthma patients,
improved symptoms in depression, and increases in patient self
management and provider follow-up in health centers across the
nation. For more information on the Health Disparities Collaboratives,
visit the national website at
www.healthdisparities.net
.