The Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) has two aims: (1) To form a research collaborative across the Eastern Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago to recruit and follow a community-dwelling adult cohort to estimate the prevalence of known and potential risk factors associated with the development of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and (2) To enhance health outcomes research leadership capacity in the region through a series of dedicated activities locally and abroad. ECHORN will expand clinical research with racial/ethnic minority populations in a transitioning part of the globe now threatened with an epidemic of noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCD). ECHORN's findings will have direct implications for the health disparities research and policy agenda in the mainland United States. In the long term, the links ECHORN will faciliate with local health policy delegations and global strategic organizational partners will promote the translation of research to Improve health outcomes across the region. The collection and storage of biological specimens will also contribute to national biomonitoring projects and has the potential to identify unique risk and protective factors in the development of NCD.

Public Health Relevance

Strengthening capacity for the design and implementation of actionable health outcomes research within the Eastern Caribbean is an essential component of any comprehensive strategy to combat the emerging epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCD) in the Western Hemisphere and globally. The Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) is a novel, multipronged collaboration that will ultimately inform strategies, diagnostics, technologies, and targeted interventions to improve health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Type
Resource-Related Research Projects--Cooperative Agreements (U24)
Project #
5U24MD006938-05
Application #
8857159
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMD1-RN (02))
Program Officer
Alvidrez, Jennifer L
Project Start
2011-09-19
Project End
2016-05-31
Budget Start
2015-06-01
Budget End
2016-05-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$992,363
Indirect Cost
$157,023
Name
Yale University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06510
Wang, K H; Thompson, T A; Galusha, D et al. (2018) Non-communicable chronic diseases and timely breast cancer screening among women of the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study. Cancer Causes Control 29:315-324
Oladele, Carol; Thompson, Terri-Ann; Zhang, Elizabeth R et al. (2017) Population-Based Surveillance for Cardiovascular Disease in the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Approaches. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 11:
Maharaj, R G; Nunez-Smith, M; King, R K et al. (2012) Independence and interdependence: opportunities for growth, research and societal change. West Indian Med J 61:472