Multidisciplinary approaches to the management of high blood pressure

Studies on collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to the management of hypertension published in the past 2 years are summarized. Expanding scopes of practice for nonphysician health professionals, a need to build capacity in the healthcare system, and a movement toward multidisciplinary care warrant an examination of the evidence in this area.

Multidisciplinary care for hypertension management, across the majority of studies identified, resulted in improved blood pressure (BP) outcomes and the timeliness of achieving treatment targets. Interventions involving therapeutic decision-making by nonphysician health professionals consistently resulted in significant BP improvements compared with usual care, whereas more passive approaches, such as education and lifestyle monitoring programs, were unable to significantly benefit participants' BP.

Our findings support recent efforts to integrate collaborative care approaches into chronic disease management, with the strongest evidence for pharmacist care. Expanding scopes of practice and clinical decision-making protocols for nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, and physiotherapists have the potential to further improve hypertension care.