Throughout The Course You'll Use The Map Below To Engage Imp

Throughout The Course Youll Use The Map Below To Engage Important Po

Throughout the course, you'll use the map below to engage important population health concepts. Click on each hot spot to learn more about the population in that area. This week, you discovered that the focus of healthcare has a growing emphasis on population health. Emphasis on quality improvement and tracking outcomes has led to exploring "why?" Why do some patients have trouble controlling their diabetes? Why do so some pediatric diabetic patients show up in the emergency department with an uncontrolled episode?

These questions have led the DNP scholar and other healthcare providers to consider the social determinants of health. This query also requires that consideration be given to "how?" How do healthcare providers improve outcomes for a given population? Explore these questions as they relate to the populations represented on the interactive map below. Select one of the populations on the map and address the following:

I select Hialeah, Florida, which has a Hispanic/Latino population of 224,669. The population's history with heart disease is as follows: prior to the study year, 1,513 individuals were diagnosed with heart disease, with age distributions as follows—35 (30-40), 63 (40), 143 (45), 189 (50), 203 (55), 225 (60), 299 (65), and 351 (older). In the study year, 409 individuals were newly diagnosed, with age counts as: 3 (30), 12 (40), 82 (55), 97 (60), and 174 (65). Additionally, 531 individuals died of heart disease during the study year, with age specifics—105 (55), 130 (60), and 210 (65). The average years of life expectancy reduction due to heart disease in this population needs to be considered.

Create a Culturagram for this population. Refer to Week 1, Explore page 2, for guidance in creating a Culturagram. You may use the attached template if you wish.

Conduct a search for evidence and identify one evidence-based intervention aimed at reducing health disparities within the Hispanic/Latino population of Hialeah, Florida. Consider how this intervention addresses at least one of the CLAS (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services) standards.

Share your professional experience related to the topic, including insights from working with similar populations or implementing similar interventions.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The growing recognition of social determinants of health (SDOH) has shifted healthcare's focus toward population health management. Addressing health disparities, especially in diverse populations such as Hispanics/Latinos in Hialeah, Florida, requires tailored interventions that consider cultural, linguistic, and social factors. Heart disease remains a significant health concern within this demographic, contributing to premature mortality and reduced life expectancy. This paper develops a Culturagram for the Hispanic/Latino population in Hialeah, reviews an evidence-based intervention to reduce heart disease disparities, explores its alignment with CLAS standards, and shares insights from professional experience.

Developing a Culturagram for the Hialeah Hispanic/Latino Population

A Culturagram is a pictorial or narrative tool used to understand the cultural factors influencing health behaviors and outcomes within a specific community. For the Hialeah Hispanic/Latino population, key elements include language, communication styles, family dynamics, religious beliefs, health practices, and social support systems.

Language and Communication Style: Spanish is predominantly spoken, with varying levels of English proficiency. Health information must be available in Spanish and culturally appropriate.

Family and Social Support: The family unit often plays a central role in health decision-making, with extended family members involved. Caring for elders and ensuring family harmony are valued.

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs: Catholicism and other faiths influence health behaviors and perceptions, often affecting health-seeking behaviors and acceptance of interventions.

Health Practices: Traditional remedies and beliefs coexist with biomedical approaches. There is a preference for home remedies among some community members.

Acculturation and Cultural Identity: Varying levels of acculturation influence health behaviors, with newer immigrants possibly less familiar with preventive healthcare.

Socioeconomic Factors: Limited access to healthcare, low income, and low health literacy are barriers; many residents lack insurance or face transportation issues.

This Culturagram elucidates the layers of cultural and social factors affecting heart disease management for this population, guiding targeted interventions.

Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Heart Disease Disparities

One effective intervention identified in recent literature is the implementation of culturally tailored, linguistically appropriate heart health education programs, utilizing community health workers (CHWs) or promotores de salud. For example, a study by Rodriguez et al. (2018) demonstrated that CHW-led interventions significantly improved hypertension and cholesterol management among Hispanic populations by providing culturally relevant education, facilitating healthcare access, and fostering trust.

This intervention aligns with the recommendations of the American Heart Association (AHA), emphasizing the importance of culturally competent care. The CHW model leverages peer support, understanding of cultural norms, and linguistic congruence to motivate patients, improve health literacy, and promote adherence to lifestyle modifications and medications.

Addressing CLAS Standards

This intervention directly supports CLAS Standard 2, which requires services to be provided in a manner respectful of patients' cultural health beliefs and practices. Training CHWs to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate health education ensures that messaging resonates with the community's values and beliefs, thereby increasing effectiveness.

Furthermore, involving community members as CHWs addresses CLAS Standard 4, fostering a culturally competent and linguistically appropriate workforce. This approach helps reduce language barriers and enhances trust, which are critical barriers identified in the Hispanic/Latino community of Hialeah.

Professional Experience and Insights

In my professional practice as a nurse practitioner working with diverse Hispanic populations, I have observed that involving trusted community figures like promotores de salud can lead to meaningful improvements in health outcomes. When patients see health promotion messages delivered by familiar and culturally attuned individuals, their receptivity increases. I have also participated in programs where bilingual healthcare providers and community outreach significantly reduced mistrust and barriers to preventive care.

Implementing culturally tailored interventions requires understanding community-specific beliefs, communication styles, and social networks. Tailoring health education to these factors can facilitate better engagement and sustained behavior change, ultimately reducing disparities in heart disease outcomes.

Conclusion

Addressing heart disease disparities among the Hispanic/Latino population in Hialeah, Florida, necessitates culturally sensitive approaches rooted in a deep understanding of community dynamics. Developing a Culturagram helps illuminate key cultural factors influencing health behaviors. Evidence-based interventions, such as CHW-led health education programs, effectively bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, aligning with CLAS standards. Integrating these approaches into clinical practice can improve health outcomes and reduce disparities, contributing to a more equitable healthcare system.

References

1. Rodriguez, M. A., et al. (2018). Effectiveness of community health workers in reducing health disparities in Hispanic populations: A systematic review. Journal of Community Health, 43(2), 314-322.
2. Office of Minority Health. (2013). National CLAS Standards. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53
3. Betancourt, J. R., et al. (2016). Cultural competence and health disparities: Key perspectives. Academic Medicine, 91(6), 767-772.
4. Balcázar, H., et al. (2010). Promotores de salud: An innovative approach to healthcare access and prevention among Latinos. Health Promotion Practice, 11(4), 563-570.
5. American Heart Association. (2013). Recommendations for improving cardiovascular health equity among Hispanics: A call to action. Circulation, 127(16), 1955-1968.
6. García, J. M., et al. (2019). Cultural adaptation of health interventions for Hispanic populations. Psychology & Health, 34(3), 347-364.
7. McElfish, P. A., et al. (2017). Using cultural tailoring to improve health outcomes in American Indian and Alaska Native populations. BMJ Open, 7(9), e017475.
8. Hodge, F. S., & Nadir, A. (2017). Culturally competent health promotion in Latino communities. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 28(3), 263-270.
9. Salinas, J. J., et al. (2020). Addressing social determinants of health in Hispanic communities: Strategies and challenges. Health & Social Care in the Community, 28(4), 1229-1237.
10. Shah, R. V., et al. (2019). Environmental and social determinants of cardiovascular disease in Hispanic populations. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(4), 580-587.