Characteristics of Health Care Practices and Systems That Excel in Hypertension Control

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Hypertension affects approximately one in three US adults.
• Only half of US adults with hypertension achieve adequate blood pressure control.
• Significant disparities exist in hypertension management and control rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify characteristics of healthcare practices and systems that achieve high hypertension control rates (≥70%).
• To analyze data from the Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge to understand effective hypertension management strategies.
• To determine factors contributing to successful blood pressure control in diverse patient populations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 96 healthcare practices across 34 US states, collected via applications for the Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge (April-June 2017).
• Inclusion of data from 635,000 patients diagnosed with hypertension.
• Evaluation of hypertension control rates and implemented evidence-based strategies within participating practices.

Main Results:

• The mean hypertension control rate across the 96 practices was 77.1%.
• 27.1% of practices reported hypertension control rates of 80% or higher.
• High control rates were achieved even in practices serving large populations with multiple risk factors for uncontrolled hypertension.

Conclusions:

• Evidence-based strategies are effective in achieving high hypertension control rates, even in complex patient populations.
• Specific practice and system characteristics contribute to successful hypertension management.
• Improving hypertension control requires the systematic implementation of proven strategies within healthcare settings.