A Nurse Led Urban Health Movement in Shanghai

This presentation will share results of a successful public health initiative in urban Shanghai, highlighting a cross disciplinary global partnership and several case studies of low cost health projects that have resulted in... [ view full abstract ]

This presentation will share results of a successful public health initiative in urban Shanghai, highlighting a cross disciplinary global partnership and several case studies of low cost health projects that have resulted in policy impact. The initiative illustrates an evolving collaboration between The Rogosin Institute in New York together with 36 community health centers, two hospitals, two schools of nursing, and two elderly nursing centers from 10 districts in partnership with the China Community Health Alliance and health policy directors from the local municipal government in Shanghai. Program infrastructure, methodologies, findings, challenges, and future plans, including replication of this model in New York and the development of collaborative multi city research studies, will be shared.

The Dreyfus Health Foundation of The Rogosin Institute in New York launched “Problem Solving for Better Health®” in 1989 in China, a participatory project planning methodology used to unleash the potential of health care professionals to achieve better health and quality of life for the patients and communities they serve. Rogosin’s global program has been tested in more than 30 countries. In China the program has been applied in academic institutions, hospitals, and communities in 21 cities, engaged more than 13,000 health professionals, and resulted in over 7,000 health action projects. The program methodology and local infrastructure has catalyzed this urban health initiative in Shanghai. Examples include the development of health clubs to address diabetes and hypertension and the training of community health nurses to improve maintenance of peripherally inserted central catheters in cancer patients through outreach education, which have grown from pilot projects to government sponsored initiatives.

Problem Solving for Better Health is an iterative, transformational, and sustainable methodology that teaches health professionals the concepts and methodology necessary to increase community engagement and better self care as evidenced by this initiative in Shanghai, China.