The Effectiveness of Collaborative Advanced Practice Nursing in Primary Hypertension Management: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Primary Care
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Hypertension management is crucial at the primary care level, especially in resource-limited low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Collaboration between advanced practice nurses (APNs) and medical doctors (MDs) can improve hypertension care in LMICs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of collaborative entry-level APNs in managing primary hypertension.
• Assessing impacts on patient knowledge, physiological and behavioral outcomes, consultation length, and patient satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 63 patients with primary hypertension.
• Comparison between an entry-level APN intervention group and a standard medical doctor (MD) care control group.
• Mixed analysis of variance used to assess outcomes at 1-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant improvements in blood pressure, BMI, knowledge, self-management, and medication adherence.
• No significant differences in patient outcomes or satisfaction were observed between APN and MD groups.
• Entry-level APNs had significantly longer consultation times compared to MDs.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative entry-level APNs provide comparable care to MDs for primary hypertension management.
• Larger, longer-term trials are necessary for a comprehensive evaluation.
• Developing APN roles in LMICs is vital for addressing healthcare service gaps in chronic disease management.