Computerized appointment tracking improved blood pressure control at 6 months, while individualized counseling and home visits by community health workers resulted in sustained improvements at 12 months.
RCT (n=1,367)
randomized
Yes
Do community-based interventions (counseling, tracking, home visits) improve appointment keeping and blood pressure control in an underserved, ethnically diverse hypertensive population compared to usual care?
Community health worker counseling and home visits provide sustained improvements in blood pressure control and appointment adherence in underserved minority populations.
The Community Hypertension Intervention Project (CHIP) is investigating medical, environmental, and psychosocial factors related to adherence to treatment for hypertension and examining the efficacy of three interventions designed to improve treatment adherence in a high-risk, underserved, ethnically diverse population. There were 1,367 Black (76%) and Hispanic (21%) adults who participated in a 4-year longitudinal study. Participants were randomized to either usual care or one of three interventions: (a) individualized counseling sessions with community health workers (CHWs), (b) a computerized appointment tracking system, or (c) home visits/focus group discussions with CHWs. At baseline, a total of 33% of the participants had one or more comorbidities in addition to hypertension; only 35% had their blood pressure under control. Participants assigned to the patient tracking intervention exhibited the most significant improvement in appointment keeping and blood pressure control status at 6 months; however, the 12-month follow-up assessments indicated that individualized counseling and home visits resulted in significant, sustained improvements in appointment keeping and blood pressure control status. These findings are now being integrated into the patient care delivery system of the participating outpatient clinics.
Morisky et al. (Mon,) conducted a rct in hypertension (n=1,367). Individualized counseling, computerized appointment tracking, or home visits/focus groups vs. usual care was evaluated on Appointment keeping and blood pressure control status. Computerized appointment tracking improved blood pressure control at 6 months, while individualized counseling and home visits by community health workers resulted in sustained improvements at 12 months.