Primary Outcome Measures:
- Blood pressure (BP) control, systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measured at primary care provider (PCP) visits [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Satisfaction with care [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
- Efficacy with treatment [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
- Risk associated with hypertension [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
- Self reported adherence [ Time Frame: 6 and 12 months ]
The proposed research will develop a cost-effective, health communication intervention specifically for the purpose of improving BP control among patients with low levels of functional health literacy. Its objectives are:
- To enroll 250 FHI, hypertensive individuals from primary care clinics into the randomized controlled study;
- To implement a health communication intervention in which a nurse delivers personally tailored information about BP management over the phone to the patient, using standardized scripts and complementing the phone intervention with visual aids and support of a family member or friend;
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on a primary clinical outcome measure -- blood pressure control;
- To evaluate the intervention's effect on secondary outcome measures -- changes in hypertension risk perception, satisfaction with care, patient confidence following recommended regimen, and self-reported adherence to recommended regimens.
We expect to demonstrate improved health outcomes, measured by BP control (<140/90 mm/Hg), as a result of the intervention. If successful, our intervention will constitute an important health communication tool specifically designed to improve BP control of patients with low health literacy.
Purpose
