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Workshop: Preventing Air Pollution-related Cardiopulmonary Illnesses: Innovative, Cross-disciplinary Solutions

On Sept. 28-29, 2016 in Washington, DC, EPA held its first workshop to share multi-stakeholder perspectives on how to improve cardiopulmonary health outcomes through the integration of environmental health, public health, health care services, data and technologies for at-risk patients and populations. Participants shared ideas on actionable approaches to integrate environmental health data, tools and patient information into health promotion and disease management programs.  

New, very compelling evidence on the role of air pollution and the development and exacerbation of cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease is adding more knowledge on risk factors contributing to the leading causes of death in the US and the developed world.  At the same time, healthcare systems and health insurers are proactively promoting health and wellbeing at the individual and community level.  

These developments come at a time of skyrocketing innovation in environmental exposure and risk assessment, data analytics, personal biochemical, physiological and environmental monitors, and consumer smartphone apps.  Bringing together experts from the fields of environmental science, public health, health care, health policy, “big data,” social science, and risk communication is envisioned to help forge new approaches to addressing the needs of cardiovascular and respiratory patients or those in the general public at risk of developing disease.

Objectives of the workshop:

  • Convene experts and practitioners from diverse environmental, social science, data and health disciplines to share knowledge and perspectives on cardiopulmonary health risk factors mediated and/or modified by environmental conditions.
  • Discuss barriers to the successful development and implementation of promising interventions to decrease adverse health effects among people at risk from air pollution exposures.
  • Conceptualize and discuss integrated practical and actionable approaches that have potential to improve health outcomes.
  • Develop collaborative pilot efforts that will address barriers and test new integrated environmental-healthcare approaches to improving cardiopulmonary outcomes for disease prevention and management and decreasing health disparities.

Final Workshop Summary Preventing Air Pollution-Related Cardiopulmonary Illnesses - Innovative, Cross-Disciplinary Solutions