Community ACTION boards: an innovative model for effective community-academic research partnerships.

Background: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires equitable partnerships between community stakeholders and academics. Traditionally, researchers relied on community advisory boards, but these boards often play a reactive role limited to a project-by-project basis. The East and Central Harlem Health Outcomes (ECHHO) Community Action Board (CAB), however, is an effective, proactive group.

Using community-based participatory research to reduce health disparities in East and Central Harlem.

Objective: It is important to teach community members about the causes, magnitude and effects of health disparities that affect them, and to partner with them to develop, test and disseminate programs that they can sustain to improve health. East and Central Harlem are two underserved, predominantly minority, inner-city communities whose residents have disproportionately high morbidity and mortality from chronic conditions. We developed an approach to educate and work together with Harlem residents to study health disparities, and to use peer-led classes to improve chronic disease management and outcomes.