Improving Practice Patterns for the Treatment of Hypertension

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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To improve the quality of hypertension care in our facility, while concurrently, examining the relative contribution of each aspect of a multi-factorial intervention designed to improve hypertension care.

Detailed Description
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This project was a randomized trial designed to examine the relative contribution of three quality improvement interventions of increasing intensity on BP control in veterans. Providers in each stratum and their eligible patients were randomized to one of three study arms. The providers randomized to the first arm received education alone, and were considered the controls. Providers randomized to the second arm received both provider education and a hypertension alert. The third arm included provider education, a hypertension alert, and patient education. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were aged 21- 90 years and filled their medications with the VA pharmacies. Between July and December 2003, we determined patient eligibility using a search strategy using data from the Mid South Quality Improvement Data warehouse, which is downloaded monthly from Veterans' Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA).

Official Title
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Innovations to Implementing Evidence-based Clinical Practice

Conditions
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Hypertension

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Provider Education
* Behavioral: Hypertension Alert
* Behavioral: Patient Education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were aged 21- 90 years and filled their medications with the VA pharmacies. Seen in 2003 and had a primary care visit coded as hypertension using International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision; Clinical Modification (ICD 9-CM) (24) of 401.1 or 401.9 and who were prescribed only one antihypertensive medication Exclusion Criteria: More than one antihypertensive medication Refuse consent to review medical record Pregnant Prisoners

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: Arm 1<br> | Behavioral: Provider Education<br> <br> Behavioral: Hypertension Alert<br> <br> Behavioral: Patient Education<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reaching Systolic BP goal 6 months after intervention |  |  | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reaching Diastolic BP goal 6 months after intervention Any additional prescriptions of antihypertensive medications. |  |  | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Behavior Change, patient Education