Using the Replicating Effective Programs Framework to Adapt a Heart Health Intervention

Abstract

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. African Americans and people of low socioeconomic status suffer disproportionately from heart disease–related morbidity and mortality. In Detroit, Michigan, a primarily African American and low-income urban area, heart disease mortality is at twice the national rate. Despite evidence for the effectiveness of self-management support interventions in reducing chronic disease burden for older adults, few are adapted for communities most in need. This article describes the process of adapting Take PRIDE, an evidence-based heart disease self-management intervention, for older adults in Detroit via the Replicating Effective Programs (REP) framework. Working within a community–academic partnership, we found REP useful in facilitating the identification of diverse stakeholders, core versus adaptable elements of the intervention and barriers to implementation. We also made several modifications to the REP framework in order to better fit our project needs. Overall, we found REP to be an effective, flexible tool that allowed us to successfully adapt a disease-management intervention for this setting. Processes, lessons learned, and recommendations offered in this article may help researchers and practitioners working to expand access to self-management support for populations most affected by chronic disease.