Consumer Health Resource Information Service (CHRIS) Program
Along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 goals of increasing quality and years of life, the CHRIS program is a faith-based initiative conceptualized by ORAU to assist the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in eliminating health disparities—diseases, disorders and conditions—facing today's miniority population.
CHRIS educates churches and other faith-based organizations on their ability to play an effective role in eliminating or reducing minority health disparities due to their unique positions in the community.
Through collaboration among participating churches and with other local, state, and national community service organizations, CHRIS effectively disseminates reliable culturally-specific consumer health information and provide core health-related services.
CHRIS addresses the following health disparities as identified in the Health People 2010 but can adapted to address any health issues of concern to any community, large or small:
- HIV/AIDS
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- Immunization
- Cancer
- Infant mortality
The program includes funding for:
- computer equipment,
- internet skills training,
- consumer health information access training,
- consumer health lay ministry and parish nurse training, and
- two educational workshops/activities for the participating churches.
The project was initially designed based on collection and analysis of national and regional disparity data and the development and implementation of a community health survey. The program has evolved based on the results of a pilot project conducted in six African American churches in Knoxville, Tenn.
To date, the CHRIS program has been implemented in 10 African American churches and one Hispanic-serving church. It has recently been launched statewide in Tennessee to include an additional 10 churches and will be the first faith-based program to address multiple disparities.
ORAU has also developed a tool kit for implementing the program nationwide.
