Central Michigan University’s college of medicine has been conducting research into heart health in rural Michigan.
CMU researchers said after evaluating surveys they discovered rural residents have less knowledge of heart disease, so they began doing one on one educational sessions in rural communities.
Neli Ragina is an assistant professor of genetics in CMU’s college of medicine. She said some of the people who participated in the study ended up calling her and thanking her saying the education they received helped them realize they may have a heart condition.
“So, I think this was the power of our educational intervention we actually helped people go get checked up with their physicians and actually get diagnosed. And this way prevented any further complications down the road”.
Ragina said rural residents have less access to health care and heart disease often goes undiagnosed. She said providing a little education can help people evaluate themselves to determine if they should go see a doctor.