Communication Strategies

Given the challenges being face in the health industry and mainly in the treatment of cardio-vascular disorders, we found it very important to investigate or rather find out what are the characteristics the social and economic perspectives of people living in Kenya who are suffering from cardio-vascular diseases. We are targeting a decrease in the rate of mortality due to the heart disorders in Kenya and in the general world. Many deaths are being registered each year due to the lack of treatment for heart diseases such as the cardio-vascular diseases. CVD is an abbreviation for cardio-vascular diseases. We will collect the qualitative and quantitative data that relate to the economic background of the patients, their demographic characteristics, the family structures, the community structures, other socio-economic support systems, income at family and personal level, personal and family assets and then access to financial resources and other material resources. The end goal of us is to find out the common characteristics exhibited by the patients who have accessed medical or treatment services for Cardio-Vascular diseases.  The findings of the research should be helpful to the government and policy stakeholders in the health sector in Kenya, in drawing out a clear depiction of the population being served through their CVD treatment program. The findings will also help other similar countries that are scaling up new treatment programs and have the need of establishing the common attributes of the population that is likely to seek care.

Objectives
In this research, we have four main objectives regards to solving the cardio-vascular disorder problem in Kenya. These objectives are as follows
Investigating the risk factors associated with CVD
Find ways that may help in the reduction of risk factors of CVD
Find ways that may improve survival of CVD patients
Findsuggest ways of Improving treatment for CVD patients

Background
CVD is a group of heart-related diseases that also affect the blood vessels. These diseases also include all the diseases that affect the cardiovascular system. As such, CVD have similar causes and exhibit similar mechanisms and the treatments are also similar. Cardio-Vascular Diseases have been documented by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the largest killer diseases in the world that claim about seventeen million lives every year.  According to the WHO, these diseases result from various causes including use of tobacco, an unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity. The same source also shows that using alcohol aggravates the risk of getting heart attack.  Specifically, for instance, when an individual does not exercise adequately and eats high calorie-cum-fat foods, the arteries may block thereby calling for medication or medical attention. If there is no prompt medical attention then this can turn into blockage of the arteries and ultimately cause a disease like heart attack.  Heart attacks may strike all of a sudden and may be fatal if immediate medical attention is not sought or availed. An overweight individual has higher chances of getting strokes or heart attacks.

Research methodology
Cardio-vascular diseases are most common in developing countries or countries that have population characterized by low or medium income levels. In fact, the WHO records that about 80 of the deaths that result from CVD occur in the countries where average income levels are low or medium. Women are affected more especially after their menopause though the risk is equally distributed for men and women in these regions. The ability to access the requisite medical attention may be inhibited by economic resources, availability of transport, level of awareness, geography, or even family members.  

In this research, we wish to investigate these factors by interviewing CVD patients in six of the countrys eight provincial hospitals and the two of the national hospitals. The Kenyas healthcare system is arranged in a hierarchical manner where the most complicated cases are taken to the highest-level hospital. We hope that at each point of interview (that is, at each hospital) we will be in a position to interview at least five patients, three nurses and one doctor. Through these procedures, we will collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data that relate to various aspects of the patients, which include their demographic information, family structures, the structures of the community where they come from, the patients local transportation, and how accessible to the transportation systems it is. In addition, we will also collect and analyze data that relates to the income an asset possession for the patients. Level of education and access to financial services will also be among the factors that the researcher will explore.

We will carry out the research in collaboration with Kenyan-Heart National Foundation. This is a non-governmental medical charity that works to prevent, reduce, control, advocate for treatment and better management of heart-related diseases. It does its work through creation of public awareness and through education its mission is centered on prevention as the best mechanism of dealing with CVD. The charity has worked together with community groups in Kenya to promote its work in the country. We have, on several occasions, communicated with them and they have accepted to help in easing the access to interviewees thus facilitate efficiency of the entire process. Kenyan-Heart National Foundation has also accepted our requests for assistance in the preparation of the necessary data collection tools, identification of a translator for some of the interviews given that some interviews might entail communication in Swahili. The translator is to be paid out of our budget. In addition, they have agreed to allow us use their office facilities in the preliminary review and cleaning of the collected data. They will also be of great help in determining the hospitals to be visited for the interviews out those in the country. Their recommendations with respect to this will us to come out with the most representative sample from the target population of CVD patients and providers.

After gathering, cleaning and analyzing the data from Kenya, we will be able to describe the socio-economic attributes or characteristics that are common amongst CVD patients who have accessed treatment services. Thereafter, the information gathered from the study will help in matters of planning and policy implementation to facilitate programs that can help in management prevention and treatment of CVD.

Action Plan
In all our activities and events we plan to have an action plan that will guide us through the research to be carried out. In order to fulfill this action plan, we shall ensure that we have a team that

Has goodwill
That is able to apply the quality methods needed in this research
That has the right type of management and communication degree and skills
To fulfill all our set objectives we shall follow that may follow a certain path as shown in the following diagram

Limitations of the Study
We will only deal with cases of patients who have accessed treatment services those who might have CVD and have not accessed treatment may be beyond the scope of the study. The findings of the study may, therefore, not be generalized to such individuals who remain untreated. However, we strongly believes that the entire research will be helpful to many countries of similar characteristics to provide new insights in management, treatment and control or prevention of CVD especially given that these are diseases that have been identified as they are responsible for over three-quarters of deaths in the low and middle-income countries.

Timeline and logistics
Our travels are as indicated below
June 23rd -24th Travel to Nairobi, Kenya
June 25th-30thWork with Kenyan-Heart National Foundation staff in Nairobi on finalizing the tools of data collection tools and putting groundwork for travel logistics
July 1st-31stCollect data at 6 hospitals (3 days of work are required with 2 days of travel per hospital)
August 1st-14thData cleaning at Kenyan-Heart National Foundation office in Nairobi
August 15thReturn air travel from Nairobi, Kenya

Budget
In all our activities, we have a budget that is sound enough and that will enable us to carry out the research in Kenya on CVD. Most of the expenses to be incurred during the research ard directs as can be seen in the budget shown below.

Proposed Budget for the Research Project0Characteristics of Individual Receiving Treatment for CVD in Kenya00000ExpenseCost per unit of unitsTotal ProposedNotesRound-trip airfare Philadelphia   Nairobi2,500 12,500 Based on quoted fares from several bargain airfare websitesAccommodations in Nairobi25 30750 Daily rate for guest house in NairobiFood  Incidentals in Nairobi15 30450 Daily rate for meals and incidental expenses in NairobiAccommodations for field visits15 31465 Average daily rate for guest house  hotel accommodations for field visitsFood  Incidentals for field visits10 31310 Daily rate for meals and incidental expenses in field visitsLocal transportation8 44352 Average daily cost for local taxi travel to Kenyan-Heart Foundation office  hospitalsTransportation between field sites50 6300 Average cost for inter-city travel by bus, 6 trips totalTranslator wages25 31775 Daily rate for full-time translator assisting with field visitsMaterials  Supplies00250 Required supplies include voice recorder, batteries, recorder memorystorage, and small gifts for all interviewees.Total006,152 0

Budget Notes
Airfare We have budgeted 2,500 for round-trip airfare between Philadelphia, United States (PHL) and Nairobi, Kenya (NBO). This amount is derived from quotes we received through bargain airfare websites concerning cost of air travel tickets on our intended travel dates June 23rd departure and August 25th return.

Accommodations in Nairobi We expect to use a daily budget of 25day for the 30 days that we will spend in Kenya before and after collecting data in the field. This is derived from the cost of daily accommodations for single rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen and which are easily accessible to the Kenyan-Heart National Foundation offices. All the rest are costs that are based on estimates provided by the Kenyan-Heart National Foundation.

Conclusion
With the above research proposal, we hope to achieve all our set objectives so that we can fulfill our goal in reducing the mortality rate. We anticipate that alternative treatments for cardiovascular disorders or diseases will emerge or will be investigated so that the viable options can be implemented. In our research, we intend to recommend solutions to the people of Kenya who are suffering from cardiovascular disorders and give them an insight or knowledge of what they are supposed to do to reduce the chances of getting these disorders. We believe that this proposal is of importance to the whole world since most people suffer from cardiovascular disorders without their knowledge and therefore they may even die without even knowing what they were suffering from.
With a clear budget, action plan and teamwork, we believe that this proposal will be a success if put into motion and that there shall be no regrets as to why we started it. This research will also be a learning opportunity to us as we shall be able to intermingle with people of different ethnicities and therefore we shall be able to analyze each communitys social and economic lifestyle. It is our prayer that this proposal is given a go ahead for us to start the action soon so that we can see the benefits soon.