Why Do We Do Health Fairs Anyway?

1. Why Do We Do Health Fairs Anyway? Kim Curry, PhD, ARNP Associate Professor The University of Florida

2. Here’s One Reason

3. Let’s start with a definition • Health fairs: voluntary community programs that typically last one day to a few days, and offering health education and medical screenings at little to no cost.

4. Common Screening Tests • Height • Weight • Blood Pressure • Blood Sugar • Cholesterol • Vision • Anemia

5. Other Common Screens • Glaucoma • Hearing • Oral health • Podiatry • Skin Cancer • Anxiety/Depression

6. Patient/Participant Outcomes

7. Benefits • They are numerous: • Patient education • Early detection of disease • Identify priorities for community health initiatives • Ability to provide care to many in a short period of time • Ability to shift care to a focus on prevention

8. Pitfalls? • “Health fairs are neither regulated nor routinely certified in the United States, and complete data on their numbers and content are not available.” • Donald Berwick

9. Questions Raised • What to do with positive test results? • Not all positive results are important, will this increase the cost of care? • How do we create interest in the event? • How do we know if we’ve been successful?

10. Maximizing Impact • Qualified Screeners • Calibrated equipment • Physical Placement • Advertising

11. The Future