Using an Electronic Personal Health Record to Empower Patients With Hypertension

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Project Summary: An electronic personal health record (ePHR) could maximize patient/clinician collaboration and consequently improve patient self-management and related health outcomes. The purpose of the proposed project is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of an ePHR that has been modified using a patient- and family-centered approach and incorporates the experiences, perspectives, and insights of patients and family members actually using the system. Comparison of patients with the ePHR intervention to a group of care as usual patients will be performed. The investigators Specific Aims are: (1) To improve the application of patient- and family-centered care elements in an existing ePHR, based on feedback from a pilot study of patients and their families. The modified ePHR will be tested in a pilot group of patients with hypertension and their families. (2) To implement and test the effectiveness of the modified ePHR with patients being treated for hypertension by a team of physicians, mid-level practitioners, nurse clinicians, and support staff in two ambulatory settings. Outcome measures will include patient activation and perception of care, quantifiable biological markers, patient-physician communication, and congruence of treatment with guidelines, particularly medication management; (3) To monitor the shift in provider and support staff awareness and incorporation of patient- and family-centered care as a result of implementation of the ePHR using questionnaires and focus groups. If successful, this ePHR could be implemented in additional locations in the Southeast.

Official Title
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Using an Electronic Personal Health Record to Empower Patients With Hypertension

Conditions
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Hypertension

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Electronic personal health record


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: age 21 hypertension referral by physician Exclusion Criteria: age over 80 no hypertension too ill to participate

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 Years
Maximum Age: 80 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Received personal health record<br>received personal health record access | Other: Electronic personal health record<br> <br> |
| No Intervention: No personal health record<br>did not receive personal health record | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Systolic blood pressure | 2 seated measures taken using manual sphygmometer by trained research associate | 9 months | 
| Diastolic blood pressure | 2 seated measures taken using manual sphygmometer by trained research associate | 9 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| patient activation | Patients complete the validated paper-and-pencil Patient Activation Measure (PAM) developed by Judy Hibbard. The instrument assesses the degree to which a patient is activated, that is the degree to which they are an active agent in their own health care, e.g. ask questions of their health care provider. | 9 months | 
| Patient satisfaction with care | Consumer Assessment of Health care--group and clinician survey Patient assessment of chronic care Post study interviews | 9 months | 
| adherence to guidelines | chart audit of patient care | 9 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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personal health records