Advancing Cardiovascular Health workshop
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be a significant cause of mortality worldwide, despite the fact that nearly 80% of premature CVD cases are preventable. In Ireland, CVD claims the lives of nearly 9,000 individuals each year.
Rising CVD risk factors, such as population aging, obesity and emerging environmental threats, are expected to impose an increasing burden on the healthcare system and public health. This underscores the critical need to identify gaps in CVD prevention and management, and address them effectively.
This project, Advancing Cardiovascular Health: Addressing Inequalities, Enhancing Data Systems, and Promoting Lifestyle Medicine, aims to address the deficiencies in Ireland’s approach to CVD prevention and management. Led by Professor Edward Gregg, Head of School of Population Health, the project includes a half-day workshop on Saturday, 23 September to engage with and learn from the experience and expertise of key stakeholders in this area.
The main objectives of the project include:
- Describe and summarise the current knowledge and identify gaps in cardiovascular disease prevention in Ireland, with a particular focus on addressing inequalities, vulnerable populations and emerging risk groups.
- Provide a comprehensive overview of the current recommendations and assess the levels of success in meeting prevention goals in Ireland.
- Prioritise research and data needs to guide informed decision-making and action on cardiovascular disease prevention, with a specific emphasis on reducing inequalities and identifying effective approaches in lifestyle medicine.
- Identify and propose actionable strategies to address persistent and emerging missed opportunities in cardiovascular disease prevention, considering the unique challenges and opportunities in the Irish context.
Workshop: RCSI, 23 September 2023
The workshop will comprise three tracks, each focusing on a specific aspect:
- Identify and address the unique needs of vulnerable and neglected sub-populations in Ireland, including disadvantaged or overlooked groups and emerging problems: Identify and address specific populations that have been historically overlooked or marginalised in CVD prevention efforts or represent emerging problems, such as Traveller or immigrant communities, sexually and gender-diverse individuals, or young, obese adults. The aim is to prioritise sub-populations and interventions to reduce health inequalities and ensure equitable access to CVD prevention services.
- Examine the impact of Irish-specific social determinants of health on CVD prevention and outcomes: Investigate how social determinants of health specific to Ireland, such as education, housing and access to healthcare, influence CVD prevention and outcomes. The objective is to understand the unique challenges faced by the Irish population and develop interventions and policies to address them.
- Prioritise evidence-based strategies to address health inequalities, tailored to the Irish context and incorporating cultural competence and patient-centred care: Emphasise the importance of evidence-based approaches in addressing health inequalities related to CVD, specifically tailored to the Irish context. This includes integrating cultural competence and patient-centred care principles into interventions, ensuring healthcare providers understand and respect diverse cultural backgrounds and individual needs. By incorporating these strategies, the aim is to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes among different population groups in Ireland.
- Evaluate the current data systems and infrastructure for CVD prevention in Ireland, including the availability, quality, and challenges of data collection, analysis, and dissemination: Assess the existing data systems and infrastructure in Ireland related to CVD prevention, including the availability and quality of data on risk factors, screening practices, diagnostic methods, treatment approaches and health outcomes. Identify gaps, challenges and opportunities in data collection, analysis and dissemination, such as lack of standardisation, incomplete data or limited access to data sources. By evaluating the current state of data systems, policymakers and healthcare professionals can gain insights into strengths, limitations and areas for improvement, facilitating more informed decision-making.
- Discuss the importance of data-driven decision-making in CVD prevention and explore strategies for using data to inform policy and practice in Ireland: Emphasise the significance of data-driven decision-making in CVD prevention efforts, raising awareness among stakeholders about the value of utilising data to inform policy development and clinical practices. Explore strategies for effectively utilising data, such as data analytics, data visualisation and data integration approaches, to support evidence-based decision-making in CVD prevention. By promoting data-driven approaches, more informed and targeted interventions can be implemented to improve cardiovascular health outcomes.
- Explore the potential of digital health technologies, such as wearables, mobile apps or telemedicine, to enhance data collection and monitoring of CVD risk factors and outcomes in Ireland: Focus on harnessing the potential of digital health technologies in improving data collection and monitoring processes related to CVD prevention. Explore how wearable devices, mobile applications, telemedicine and other digital health tools can be utilised to collect real-time data on CVD risk factors, monitor patient health status and track treatment outcomes. By leveraging these technologies, healthcare providers can gather more comprehensive and timely data, enabling personalised interventions, remote monitoring and proactive management of CVD risk factors.
- Examine the role of lifestyle factors in CVD prevention and management in Ireland: Investigate the current status of lifestyle-based CVD prevention and management practices in Ireland, with a focus on factors such as diet, exercise, smoking and stress. This exploration aims to understand how these lifestyle factors specifically impact cardiovascular health in the Irish population, considering cultural, social and environmental factors. The findings will inform targeted interventions and educational initiatives tailored to the Irish context.
- Identify gaps and challenges in promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviour change in Ireland: Recognise the specific barriers and challenges faced in promoting healthy lifestyles and facilitating behaviour change related to CVD prevention in Ireland. This includes factors such as limited awareness of the importance of healthy behaviours, cultural influences, socioeconomic disparities and access to resources and support systems. By identifying these gaps, strategies can be developed to overcome them and promote positive behaviour change, taking into account the unique characteristics of the Irish population.
- Explore the potential of digital health technologies to support lifestyle change and self-management of CVD risk factors in Ireland: Emphasise the role of digital health technologies, including mobile apps, wearables and virtual coaching, in supporting lifestyle change and self-management of CVD risk factors in the Irish context. This exploration aims to uncover the potential benefits of these technologies specifically for the Irish population, considering factors such as technology adoption rates, accessibility and cultural relevance. By leveraging digital health solutions tailored to Ireland, personalised guidance, progress tracking, educational materials and remote monitoring can enhance the effective management of CVD risk factors among the Irish population.
Supported by Novartis
