Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug 13;28(9):1849-1857.
doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocab079.

A roadmap for cardiovascular care after release from incarceration: uses of a smartphone application

Pamela J Surkan  1 , Lisa B Puglisi  2 , Karim Butler  3 , Nika Elmi  1 , Wayne W Zachary  3
Affiliations

A roadmap for cardiovascular care after release from incarceration: uses of a smartphone application

Pamela J Surkan et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. .

Abstract

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors disproportionately affect people returning from incarceration. These individuals face multiple barriers to obtaining care, which can impact CVD and risk factor management and may be mitigated through use of a smartphone application (app). Therefore, we explored the CVD-related needs of people released from incarceration and which app features would support these needs.

Materials and methods: In 2019, we collected qualitative data through 7 focus groups with 76 returning citizens and 19 key informants through interviews and small group discussions in Baltimore, Maryland. Verbal data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive thematic coding with N-Vivo qualitative software.

Results: Returning citizens face multiple barriers when trying to engage in care and services related to cardiovascular health, including around medications and health insurance. Some major challenges were identifying trusted social services and making cardiovascular health a priority. Findings suggested that CVD risk factors could be more effectively addressed in combination with attending to other pressing needs related to employment, housing, behavioral health, and building trust. Participants suggested that a smartphone app would be most useful if it broadly addressed these issues by linking returning citizens to social services, including recommendations from peers, and facilitating access to healthcare.

Discussion: Returning citizens need broad support for societal reintegration. Addressing social issues would allow them to focus on cardiovascular health.

Conclusion: Given the challenges experienced after release from incarceration, an app focused on social and health-access issues may help returning citizens meet their CVD needs.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; incarceration; jail; mHealth; mobile application; prison.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Bronson J, Carson EA. Prisoners in 2017. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. Bureau of Justice Statistics; 2019.
    1. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, US Department of Health & Human Services. Incarceration & Reentry. https://aspe.hhs.gov/incarceration-reentryAccessed March 12, 2020
    1. Rabuy B, Kopf D. Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned; July 9, 2015. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/income.htmlAccessed September 26, 2020
    1. Wang EA, Redmond N, Dennison Himmelfarb CR, et al. Cardiovascular disease in incarcerated populations. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 69 (24): 2967–76. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu J, Arias E.. Deaths: final data for 2017. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2019; 68 (9): 1–77. - PubMed

Publication types