title: Knowledgeable Neighbors: a mobile clinic model for disease prevention and screening in underserved communities.
abstract: The Family Van mobile health clinic uses a "Knowledgeable Neighbor" model to deliver cost-effective screening and prevention activities in underserved neighborhoods in Boston, MA. We have described the Knowledgeable Neighbor model and used operational data collected from 2006 to 2009 to evaluate the service. The Family Van successfully reached mainly minority low-income men and women. Of the clients screened, 60% had previously undetected elevated blood pressure, 14% had previously undetected elevated blood glucose, and 38% had previously undetected elevated total cholesterol. This represents an important model for reaching underserved communities to deliver proven cost-effective prevention activities, both to help control health care costs and to reduce health disparities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. caterina_hill@hms.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zurakowski
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bennet
authors.forename: Rainelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walker-White
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quarles
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oriol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000592:standards*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics; D055815:Young Adult