SCORE-5 for Heart Health

CVD health promotion services for adults in Franklin County were provided in physician offices, work sites, and other locations throughout the community using a mobile van. Services included health assessments, behavioral counseling, or responses to a patient's unique needs. A complete initial assessment included the SCORE-5 "A's": Asking about family history, diet, exercise, tobacco use, depression, stress, and medication compliance; Assessing blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, weight, height, body mass index, and waist circumference; Advising by giving health promotion messages to patients; Assisting patients in achieving lifestyle changes through support, education, and promoting simple and sustainable behavioral changes; and Arranging followup among a wide array of medical providers.

Physician practices also proved to be a powerful way to reach rural residents and to help facilitate important behavior changes such as taking medications properly, increasing physical activity, eating healthier, quitting tobacco use, optimizing weight, reducing cholesterol levels, and lowering blood pressure. By the end of the grant cycle, the program had an active presence in the offices of 21 area providers, which represents 60 percent of physician practices in the service area.

While it will be several years before the project knows to what degree it reduced the incidence of CVD, it already has demonstrated substantial improvements in physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco usage, blood pressure control, and cholesterol control. Each client living a healthier lifestyle represents a potential for reducing CVD morbidity and mortality, as well as subsequent health care costs.