Key result
Intensification of antihypertensive therapy and computerized reminders were associated with an increase in patients at systolic blood pressure goal from 28% to 35% (P<.001).
Why the study?
Does intensification of antihypertensive therapy, provider education, and computerized reminders improve blood pressure control in veterans with diabetes?
Observational (n=6,624)
Does intensification of antihypertensive therapy, provider education, and computerized reminders improve blood pressure control in veterans with diabetes?
Intensification of antihypertensive therapy combined with provider education and computerized reminders is associated with improved blood pressure control in diabetic veterans.
May support intensification plus reminders for BP control in diabetic veterans; leaves open need for randomized confirmation.
In order to evaluate efforts to improve blood pressure (BP) control in veterans with diabetes, the authors performed a retrospective review of computerized health records in the Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS). A total of 6624 diabetic patients with BP data were identified and a comparison was made to earlier surveys. There was an overall improvement in BP control. In a cohort of 1791 patients followed since 1999, there was a progressive improvement in both systolic BP (patients at goal increased from 28% to 35%; P<.001, chi(2)) and diastolic BP (patients at goal increased from 69% to 79%; P<.001). There was a corresponding increase in both number of drug classes used and use of antiangiotensin treatment. The authors conclude that the improvement in BP control in these veterans with diabetes was temporally associated with intensification in antihypertensive pharmacotherapy and sustained provider education and patient-specific computerized reminders.
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Swislocki et al. (2009) conducted an observational in Diabetes (n=6,624). Intensification in antihypertensive pharmacotherapy and computerized reminders vs. Baseline (1999) was evaluated on Systolic blood pressure at goal (p=<.001). Intensification of antihypertensive therapy and computerized reminders were associated with an increase in patients at systolic blood pressure goal from 28% to 35% (P<.001).
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