Building Capacity for Chronic Disease Education and Awareness Funded Projects

At a glance

Projects funded by the 4-year grant (Building Capacity for Education and Awareness Project, CDC-RFA-DP23-0067) include:

Diverse group of medical professionals all looking at a laptop in a meeting.

Building Capacity for COPD Education and Awareness Project

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death in the United States, and smoking is a key factor in its development and progression, according to the COPD National Action Plan.1 OPD has been the fourth leading cause of death in Vermont since 2016.2 In 2021, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported that about 7% of adult Vermonters were living with COPD, compared to 6% of adults nationwide. This project will strengthen the evidence base for a chronic disease that does not currently have dedicated resources by creating a state COPD program to increase awareness, engagement, and education among three main audiences: public (including people with COPD and their caregivers), public health (including other chronic disease programs), and clinicians and their care teams. The project will deliver COPD trainings for guideline-based, person-centered care and will support a Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) training on COPD management.

Recipient: Vermont Agency of Human Services

Atopic Dermatitis is More Than a Skin Disease: Raising Awareness and Improving Care Project

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects up to 13% of children and 7% of adults in the United States of all ages, races, and ethnicities.345 Undiagnosed and/or uncontrolled AD affects overall physical and mental health and increases health care use.678 This project will increase awareness and knowledge of the prevalence, significance, and seriousness of AD as more than a skin disease among public health professionals, primary care providers, affected patients and their families, and the public. The activities will highlight the need for timely diagnosis and ongoing disease control to minimize the impact of AD on health and quality of life, providing practical management tools and resources for patients and health care providers.

Recipient: National Eczema Association

Building Capacity for and Promoting Awareness of Evidence-based Prevention and Management of Chronic Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading contributor of disease burden globally, with an incidence of 1−2 per 1,000 adults per year and an upward trend.9101112 VTE comprises deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot in the extremities, and pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs. The project aims to improve VTE prevention, management, and public awareness. Key components of this project will be using a VTE surveillance system, compiling an inventory of VTE public education materials with key partners, creating a digital resource center to deliver current practices and information, reviewing and synthesizing information on evidence-based strategies for best practices and policies related to VTE, and drafting county and national indicator reports with statistics, policies, and practice on VTE in public health. Achieving the proposed strategies will expand and advance CDC’s current work on education, outreach, and public awareness of VTE and contribute to the knowledge base in VTE education, prevention, and management.

Recipient: Board of Regents University of Oklahoma Health Science Center

Building Capacity for Polymyalgia Rheumatica Education and Awareness

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic condition that causes substantial disability. PMR affects about 700,000 people in the United States and occurs almost exclusively after age 50.13141516 People with PMR also have a high risk (20%) of giant cell arteritis (GCA), an inflammatory disease of the large blood vessels. GCA can cause sudden and irreversible blindness and increases the risk of stroke, aneurysm, and blood clots.16171819202122232425 The Global Healthy Living Foundation, Inc., aims to improve education and awareness for meaningful improvement in patient and population-level outcomes. This project will focus on improving surveillance, diagnosis, and best-practice treatment. Key components of this project will be to establish a baseline measurement of data on PMR, evaluate baseline awareness of PMR, identify and prioritize gaps in the PMR data, synthesize the knowledge on PMR to create an educational webinar for patients and care partners, and publish reports summarizing the data collected and the tools developed.

Recipient: Global Healthy Living Foundation, Inc.

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  1. National Institutes of Health. COPD National Action Plan; 2017. Accessed October 3, 2023.
  2. Vermont Agency of Human Services. Annual Vital Statistics Reports. Accessed October 4, 2023.
  3. Hua T, Silverberg JL. Atopic dermatitis in US adults: epidemiology, association with marital status, and atopy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121(5):622-624.
  4. Silverberg JI, Simpson EL. Associations of childhood eczema severity: a US population-based study. Dermatitis. 2014;25(3):107-114.
  5. Chiesa Fuxench ZC, Block JK, Boguniewicz M, et al. Atopic Dermatitis in America Study: a cross-sectional study examining the prevalence and disease burden of atopic dermatitis in the US adult population. J Invest Dermatol. 2019;139(3):583−590.
  6. Elsawi R, Dainty K, Smith Begolka W, et al. The multidimensional burden of atopic dermatitis among adults: results from a large national survey. JAMA Dermatol. 2022;158(8):887−892.
  7. Wei W, Anderson P, Gadkari A, et al. Extent and consequences of inadequate disease control among adults with a history of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. J Dermatol. 2018;45(2):150−157.
  8. Capozza K, Funk M, Hering M, et al. Patients’ and caregivers’ experiences with atopic dermatitis-related burden, medical care, and treatments in 8 countries. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023;11(1):264-273.E1.
  9. Oleksiuk-Bojko M, Lisowska A. Venous thromboembolism: Why is it still a significant health problem? Adv Med Sci. Mar 2023;68(1):10-20. doi:10.1016/j.advms.2022.10.002.
  10. Wendelboe AM, Raskob GE. Global burden of thrombosis: epidemiologic aspects. Circ Res. 2016;118(9):1340−7.
  11. Grosse SD, Nelson RE, Nyarko KA, Richardson LC, Raskob GE. The economic burden of incident venous thromboembolism in the United States: A review of estimated attributable healthcare costs. Thromb Res. 2016;137:3−10.
  12. McFarland L, Ward A, Greenfield S, et al. ExPeKT—Exploring prevention and knowledge of venous thromboembolism: a two-stage, mixed- method study protocol. BMJ Open. 2013;3(4):e002766.
  13. Chuang TY, Hunder GG, Ilstrup DM, Kurland LT. Polymyalgia rheumatica: a 10-year epidemiologic and clinical study. Ann Intern Med. 1982;97(5):672-680.
  14. Doran MF, Crowson CS, O’Fallon WM, Hunder GG, Gabriel SE. Trends in the incidence of polymyalgia rheumatica over a 30-year period in Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA. J Rheumatol. 2002;29(8):1694-1697.
  15. Lawrence RC, Felson DT, Helmick CG, et al. Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States. Part II. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;58(1):26-35.
  16. Noltorp S, Svensson B. High incidence of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis in a Swedish community. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1991;9(4):351-355.
  17. Emamifar A, Hess S, Ellingsen T, et al. Clinical presentation and treatment response in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis during a 40-week follow-up. Rheumatol Adv Pract.2021;5(3).
  18. Caporali R, Montecucco C, Epis O, Bobbio-Pallavicini F, Maio T, Cimmino MA. Presenting features of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and rheumatoid arthritis with PMR-like onset: a prospective study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2001;60(11):1021-1024.
  19. Michailidou D, Zhang T, Stamatis P, Ng B. Risk of venous and arterial thromboembolism in patient with giant cell arteritis and/or polymyalgia rheumatica: a Veterans Health Administration population-based study in the United States. J Intern Med. May 2022;291(5):665−675.
  20. Delecoeuillerie G, Joly P, Cohen de Lara A, Paolaggi JB. Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis: a retrospective analysis of prognostic features and different corticosteroid regimens (11-year survey of 210 patients). Ann Rheum Dis. 1988;47(9):733−739.
  21. Jones JG, Hazleman BL. Prognosis and management of polymyalgia rheumatica. Ann Rheum Dis. 1981;40(1):1-5.
  22. Säve-Söderbergh J, Malmvall BE, Andersson R, Bengtsson BA. Giant cell arteritis as a cause of death. Report of nine cases. JAMA. 1986;255(4):493-496.
  23. Hemmig AK, Gozzoli D, Werlen L, et al. Subclinical giant cell arteritis in new onset polymyalgia rheumatica A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2022;55:152017.
  24. Burg LC, Karakostas P, Behning C, Brossart P, Kermani TA, Schäfer VS. Prevalence and characteristics of giant cell arteritis in patients with newly diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatica – a prospective cohort study. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2023;15:1759720×221149963.
  25. De Miguel E, Macchioni P, Conticini E, et al. Prevalence and characteristics of subclinical giant cell arteritis in polymyalgia rheumatica. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023;kead189.