Sarah Wiehe

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Engaging the Community to Inform Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

Despite well-known associations between where a person lives and his/her health, few patient-centered approaches have been used to develop and implement place-based health interventions. For the first time in the United States, Avondale Meadows, a Purpose Built Community in Indianapolis, is incorporating health as part of its community development strategy.

Avondale Meadows is an 800-unit, mixed income housing development with a key emphasis on housing, education, and health. Now, nearly all units leased and health-related amenities, including a Health and Wellness Center, are about to be implemented. Dr. Wiehe, with a team of academic and community partners, have engaged all stakeholders, including current and future residents, to discuss how to improve the community’s health. Through mixed-methods and participatory design, the team has elicited and engaged residents to develop health-promoting interventions in their community. These ideas were presented back to the larger community for validation and further resident engagement. Now, as the community members are incorporated into the ‘research team,’ they will work together to translate their ideas into action.

Dr. Wiehe’s work to engage the community in ways to improve their health is another example of how IUPUI’s faculty members are TRANSLATING their RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.

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