UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas

Background: We describe a mobile unit (UniMóvil) designed to improve poor healthcare access delivery to residents in two South Texas underserved Colonias. The interprofessional team measured seven clinical outcomes [obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eron G. Manusov, Vincent P. Diego, Jacob Smith, Jesús R. Garza, John Lowdermilk, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Francisco Fernandez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00215/full
id doaj-540b4af53afb49f6976b0507c870dd54
record_format Article
spelling doaj-540b4af53afb49f6976b0507c870dd542020-11-25T01:17:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652019-08-01710.3389/fpubh.2019.00215405885UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South TexasEron G. Manusov0Vincent P. Diego1Jacob Smith2Jesús R. Garza3John Lowdermilk4John Blangero5Sarah Williams-Blangero6Francisco Fernandez7Department of Family and Community Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Harlingen, TX, United StatesDepartment of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, United StatesUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United StatesVIDAS [United Health Foundation], University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United StatesHuman Development & School Services, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, United StatesDepartment of Human Genetics, Genomics Computing Center, School of Medicine, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, United StatesDepartment of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Harlingen, TX, United StatesBackground: We describe a mobile unit (UniMóvil) designed to improve poor healthcare access delivery to residents in two South Texas underserved Colonias. The interprofessional team measured seven clinical outcomes [obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and depression], and using the Duke Health Profile, assessed the health-related quality of life (HrQoL).Methods: The investigators used previously reported disease prevalence, an implementation model, and community needs-assessments to design an outreach healthcare delivery model. A retrospective review of the cohort provides data used to determine potential predictors of clinical variables, 11 domains of HrQOL, and inter/intra Colonia differences.Results: The average age of patients was 45 years-old and females represented 67% of the population served. Results include a high prevalence of obesity (55.5%), hypertension (39%), diabetes (32.5%), and depression (19%), gender differences, and inter-Colonia differences. A generalized linear mixed model analysis provided associations between clinical outcomes and predictors (age, sex, BMI, PHQ-9 score, HbA1c, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, low HDL, triglycerides, and HrQOL domains). The HrQol domain of low self-perceived health, relates to obesity, diabetes, low HDL, and depression. Depression predicted all 11 domains of the HrQol.Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression remains epidemic. Mobile clinics increase access and address highly prevalent illnesses in the Colonias. The data collected can be used to address chronic disease and quality of life, focus care, and direct research in high-need underserved areas.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00215/fullColoniamobile clinicquality of lifeinterprofessional careborderMexican-American
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Eron G. Manusov
Vincent P. Diego
Jacob Smith
Jesús R. Garza
John Lowdermilk
John Blangero
Sarah Williams-Blangero
Francisco Fernandez
spellingShingle Eron G. Manusov
Vincent P. Diego
Jacob Smith
Jesús R. Garza
John Lowdermilk
John Blangero
Sarah Williams-Blangero
Francisco Fernandez
UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas
Frontiers in Public Health
Colonia
mobile clinic
quality of life
interprofessional care
border
Mexican-American
author_facet Eron G. Manusov
Vincent P. Diego
Jacob Smith
Jesús R. Garza
John Lowdermilk
John Blangero
Sarah Williams-Blangero
Francisco Fernandez
author_sort Eron G. Manusov
title UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas
title_short UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas
title_full UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas
title_fullStr UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas
title_full_unstemmed UniMóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care to the Colonias of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas
title_sort unimóvil: a mobile health clinic providing primary care to the colonias of the rio grande valley, south texas
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Public Health
issn 2296-2565
publishDate 2019-08-01
description Background: We describe a mobile unit (UniMóvil) designed to improve poor healthcare access delivery to residents in two South Texas underserved Colonias. The interprofessional team measured seven clinical outcomes [obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and depression], and using the Duke Health Profile, assessed the health-related quality of life (HrQoL).Methods: The investigators used previously reported disease prevalence, an implementation model, and community needs-assessments to design an outreach healthcare delivery model. A retrospective review of the cohort provides data used to determine potential predictors of clinical variables, 11 domains of HrQOL, and inter/intra Colonia differences.Results: The average age of patients was 45 years-old and females represented 67% of the population served. Results include a high prevalence of obesity (55.5%), hypertension (39%), diabetes (32.5%), and depression (19%), gender differences, and inter-Colonia differences. A generalized linear mixed model analysis provided associations between clinical outcomes and predictors (age, sex, BMI, PHQ-9 score, HbA1c, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, low HDL, triglycerides, and HrQOL domains). The HrQol domain of low self-perceived health, relates to obesity, diabetes, low HDL, and depression. Depression predicted all 11 domains of the HrQol.Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and depression remains epidemic. Mobile clinics increase access and address highly prevalent illnesses in the Colonias. The data collected can be used to address chronic disease and quality of life, focus care, and direct research in high-need underserved areas.
topic Colonia
mobile clinic
quality of life
interprofessional care
border
Mexican-American
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00215/full
work_keys_str_mv AT erongmanusov unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT vincentpdiego unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT jacobsmith unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT jesusrgarza unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT johnlowdermilk unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT johnblangero unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT sarahwilliamsblangero unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
AT franciscofernandez unimovilamobilehealthclinicprovidingprimarycaretothecoloniasoftheriograndevalleysouthtexas
_version_ 1725147138675965952