Does task sharing with non-physician health-care workers improve blood pressure control in adults in low-income and middle-income countries?
Task-sharing with non-physician healthcare workers is an effective strategy for reducing blood pressure in resource-poor settings.
BACKGROUND: Task sharing for the management of hypertension could be useful for understaffed and resource-poor health systems. We assessed the effectiveness of task-sharing interventions in improving blood pressure control among adults in low-income and middle-income countries. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL for studies published up to December 2018. We included intervention studies involving a task-sharing strategy for management of blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. We extracted data on population, interventions, blood pressure, and task sharing groups. We did a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. FINDINGS: =80%). The overall quality of evidence based on GRADE criteria was moderate for systolic blood pressure, but low for diastolic blood pressure. INTERPRETATION: Task-sharing interventions are effective in reducing blood pressure. Long-term studies are needed to understand their potential impact on cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance.
Anand et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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