Developing long-term population-based cohort studies and interventions to improve health care and outcomes in the Western Region of São Paulo

Resumo

Both Brazil and the United States face significant challenges from the explosive growth of non-communicable chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the need to improve primary care health systems to prevent chronic illnesses and help those with chronic illness manage their conditions.1 ,2 Both countries face marked health disparities between higher and lower-income communities and the challenge of improving quality of care and outreach in resource-strapped health systems serving low-resource communities. In our collaborative research program between the University of Michigan (UM) and the University of São Paulo's (USP) Western Region Project, we aim to address these problems by bringing together our joint expertise in three key areas: 1) population-based longitudinal cohort studies; 2) development and evaluation of cost-eftective primary care-based programs to improve child health and chronic disease prevention and management; and 3) creation and testing of innovative eHealth platforms and behavioral approaches to improve delivery of primary care outreach to vulnerable populations. At the end of the two year period, the joint study team will submit applications for funding from US, multilateral, and Brazilian funders to evaluate two CHA-based interventions to improve child health. (AU)