Nursing case management for people with hypertension in primary health care: A randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is a chronic disease that requires continuous and long-term care to prevent or delay the development of associated complications. Although various interventions for hypertension exist, case management in Brazil's primary healthcare is understudied. We examined nursing case management effectiveness for controlling blood pressure among Brazilian adults with hypertension in the public healthcare system. METHOD: A randomized controlled trial with a 12-month follow-up was conducted at a primary healthcare clinic in southern Brazil. Adult patients with hypertension were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 47) and usual care groups (n = 47). The nursing case management model includes nursing consultations, telephone contact, home visits, health education, and appropriate referrals. Patient outcomes (blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, quality of life, treatment adherence) were assessed at baseline and 6- and 12-month follow-up for the intervention group and at baseline and 12-month follow-up for the usual care group. Data were collected from only the intervention group at T6 to avoid contact between the researcher and the usual care group, and to check the care plan and modify it if necessary. RESULTS: After the intervention, the intervention group's blood pressure decreased significantly compared to the usual care group. The differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the groups was -8.3 (intervention)/1.1 (usual care) mmHg (p = .004) and -7.4/-0.6 mmHg (p = .007), respectively. The intervention group had significantly greater improvement in waist circumference (-2.0/1.2 cm), body mass index (- 0.4/0.3), and treatment adherence (4.8/-1.1) than the usual care group (all p < .05). CONCLUSION: Nursing case management in primary healthcare may be effective for improving outcomes among patients with hypertension.