Team-Based Hypertension Management to Improve Blood Pressure Control

Hypertension is the most common condition seen in primary care, occurring in 1 in 3 adults in the United States. The patient-centered medical home provides an opportunity for proactive, team-based care of hypertension. The purpose of this pilot study was to measure the effectiveness of a team-based approach to blood pressure management in a busy, primary care setting.

Using panel management within 2 primary care clinics, a cohort of patients with blood pressures >160/100 mm Hg, was identified. The patients at 1 clinic were contacted by the primary care team and offered multiple interventions aimed at improving blood pressure control; including discussion of medication compliance, medication titration, home blood pressure monitoring, nutritional counseling, and motivational interviewing. The change in blood pressure for these patients at 4 months was compared to a parallel primary care clinic within the same medical center whose patients were treated with usual primary care.

A total of 350 and 315 patients were included in the intervention and usual care cohorts, respectively. At 4 months, the decrease of systolic blood pressure in the intervention group was significantly greater than in the usual care group (15.6 vs 9.9 mm Hg; P < .001). Sixty-two percent of patients in the intervention group had lower systolic blood pressures post intervention, compared with 41% of usual care patients (P < .001). Reduction in diastolic blood pressure occurred in 54% of intervention patients, compared with 37% of usual care patients (P < .001).

Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of a team-based approach to blood pressure management. This can provide a framework for implementation of team-based care for hypertension in the patient-centered medical home.