Care management delivered through online communications by a pharmacist helped patients with high blood pressure and their doctors achieve greater control of the condition, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Among patients whose high blood pressure remained uncontrolled despite receiving medications under a physicians’ care, 56 percent achieved control after 12 months of online interactions with a pharmacist, in combination with use of an informational Web site and home blood pressure monitoring.
The Electronic Communications and Home Blood Pressure Monitoring (e-BP) study is published in the June 25, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
At Group Health, a multi-specialty practice providing both medical care and coverage based in Washington state and Idaho, 778 participants whose blood pressure was uncontrolled at the start of the study were randomly assigned to receive either usual care, home blood pressure monitoring equipment plus access to an informational study Web site, or those interventions plus secure Web site interactions with a clinical pharmacist every two weeks until blood pressure was controlled. Compared with usual care, only the more intense intervention including the pharmacist resulted in significantly more patients achieving blood pressure control, 140/90 mmHg or lower. The less intense intervention—without pharmacist care management—also resulted in decreased systolic blood pressure levels, but not significant blood pressure control.
Nearly one in three adult Americans has high blood pressure, defined as 140/90 mmHg or higher. Previous research has demonstrated that better blood pressure control reduces the risks of stroke, heart attack and heart failure.
Paula Einhorn, M.D., M.S., study project officer of the NHLBI’s Division of Prevention and Population Studies, is available for comment.
To schedule interviews, contact the NHLBI Communications Office at 301-496-4236 or nhlbi_news@nhlbi.nih.gov.
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The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov
Resources:
NHLBI Diseases and Conditions Index: High Blood Pressure
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_WhatIs.html