Integration of depression and hypertension treatment: a pilot, randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE We wanted to examine whether integrating depression treatment into care for hypertension improved adherence to antidepressant and antihypertensive medications, depression outcomes, and blood pressure control among older primary care patients.METHODS Older adults prescribed pharmacotherapy for depression and hypertension from physicians at a large primary care practice in West Philadelphia were randomly assigned to an integrated care intervention or usual care. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 weeks using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to assess depression, an electronic monitor to measure blood pressure, and the Medication Event Monitoring System to assess adherence.RESULTS In all, 64 participants aged 50 to 80 years participated. Participants in the integrated care intervention had fewer depressive symptoms (CES-D mean scores, intervention 9.9 vs usual care 19.3; P <.01), lower systolic blood pressure (intervention 127.3 mm Hg vs usual care 141.3 mm Hg; P <.01), and lower diastolic blood pressure (intervention 75.8 mm Hg vs usual care 85.0 mm Hg; P <.01) compared with participants in the usual care group at 6 weeks. Compared with the usual care group, the proportion of participants in the intervention group who had 80% or greater adherence to an antidepressant medication (intervention 71.9% vs usual care 31.3%; P <.01) and to an antihypertensive medication (intervention 78.1% vs usual care 31.3%; P <.001) was greater at 6 weeks.CONCLUSION A pilot, randomized controlled trial integrating depression and hypertension treatment was successful in improving patient outcomes. Integrated interventions may be more feasible and effective in real-world practices, where there are competing demands for limited resources.     

Program to improve colorectal cancer screening in a low-income, racially diverse population: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE More effective strategies are needed to improve rates of colorectal cancer screening, particularly among the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals with limited English proficiency. We examined whether the direct mailing of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) kits to patients overdue for such screening is an effective way to improve screening in this population. METHODS All adults aged 50 to 80 years who did not have documentation of being up to date with colorectal cancer screening as of December 31, 2009, and who had had at least 2 visits to the community health center in the prior 18 months were randomized to the outreach intervention or usual care. Patients in the outreach group were mailed a colorectal cancer fact sheet and FOBT kit. Patients in the usual care group could be referred for screening during usual clinician visits. The primary outcome was completion of colorectal cancer screening (by FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy) 4 months after initiation of the outreach protocol. Outcome measures were compared using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS Analyses were based on 104 patients assigned to the outreach intervention and 98 patients assigned to usual care. In all, 30% of patients in the outreach group completed colorectal cancer screening during the study period, compared with 5% of patients in the usual care group (P <.001). Nearly all of the screenings were by FOBT. The groups did not differ significantly with respect to the percentage of patients making a clinician visit or the percentage for whom a clinician placed an order for a screening test. CONCLUSIONS The mailing of FOBT kits directly to patients was efficacious for promoting colorectal cancer screening among a population with high levels of poverty, limited English proficiency, and racial and ethnic diversity. Non-visit-based outreach to patients may be an important strategy to address suboptimal rates of colorectal cancer screening among populations most at risk for not being screened.     

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Treating Obesity in a Community Health Centre

Objectives

The aim of the study is to assess the weight loss programme with regards to the long-term effectiveness of weight reduction and weight maintenance, using completion rate and BMI, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels as outcomes. The aim of the study also includes identifying the factors associated with adherence to the programme.

Methods

The programme was developed by a multidisciplinary team. It included 6 months of introduction and another 18 months of maintenance. The data for 397 participants was collected after 24 months.

Results

346 participants have completed the introduction and 123 have completed the programme. In the introduction, the average weight loss was 12% of the initial weight. The participants, who completed the full programme, lost 9.4% of their initial weight. The participants also significantly (p<0.05) reduced their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as their blood pressure. The factors associated with adherence to the programme are: age over 50, lower educational levels, lower initial weight and higher weight loss in the introduction.

Conclusions

The multi-disciplinary approach to obesity treatment was effective for a selected group of people. The proportion of dropouts was relatively high, but still low compared to similar programmes. Group treatment and mutual support are of a great importance in bringing about and maintaining the changes.     

Annals Journal Club: Health Coaching by Medical Assistants to Improve Control of Diabetes,Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia in Low-Income Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

Health coaching by medical assistants could be a financially viable model for providing self-management support in primary care if its effectiveness were demonstrated. We investigated whether in-clinic health coaching by medical assistants improves control of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors when compared with usual care.

METHODS

We conducted a 12-month randomized controlled trial of 441 patients at 2 safety net primary care clinics in San Francisco, California. The primary outcome was a composite measure of being at or below goal at 12 months for at least 1 of 3 uncontrolled conditions at baseline as defined by hemoglobin A_1c, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Secondary outcomes were meeting all 3 goals and meeting individual goals. Data were analyzed using χ² tests and linear regression models.

RESULTS

Participants in the coaching arm were more likely to achieve both the primary composite measure of 1 of the clinical goals (46.4% vs 34.3%, P = .02) and the secondary composite measure of reaching all clinical goals (34.0% vs 24.7%, P = .05). Almost twice as many coached patients achieved the hemoglobin A_1c goal (48.6% vs 27.6%, P = .01). At the larger study site, coached patients were more likely to achieve the LDL cholesterol goal (41.8% vs 25.4%, P = .04). The proportion of patients meeting the systolic blood pressure goal did not differ significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical assistants serving as in-clinic health coaches improved control of hemoglobin A_1c and LDL levels, but not blood pressure, compared with usual care. Our results highlight the need to understand the relationship between patients’ clinical conditions, interventions, and the contextual features of implementation.     

Multidisciplinary perspectives: Application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to evaluate a health coaching initiative

Long‐term conditions are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Their management is founded on a combination of approaches involving government policy, better integration between health and care systems, and individual responsibility for self‐care. Health coaching has emerged as an approach to encouraging individual responsibility and enhancing the self‐management of long‐term conditions. This paper focuses on the evaluation of a workforce initiative in a diverse and socially deprived community. The initiative sought both to improve integration between health and care services for people with long‐term conditions, and equip practitioners with health coaching skills. The aim of the study was to contribute an empirical understanding of what practitioners perceive to be the contextual factors that impact on the adoption of health coaching in community settings. These factors were conceptualised using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). A stratified purposive sample of 22 health and care practitioners took part in semi‐structured telephone interviews. Data were analysed using the CFIR as an analytical framework. The perceptions of trainees mapped onto the major domains of the CFIR: characteristics of the intervention, outer setting, inner setting, characteristics of individuals involved and process of implementation. Individual patient expectations, comorbidities and social context were central to the extent to which practitioners and patients engaged with health coaching. Structural constraints within provider services and the wider NHS were also reported as discouraging initiatives that focused on long‐term rewards rather than short‐term wins. The authors recommend further research is undertaken both to understand the role of health coaching in disadvantaged communities and ensure the service user voice is heard.     

The Role of Business Impact Analysis and Testing in Disaster Recovery Planning by Health Maintenance Organizations

The cost of healthcare in U.S. is a poor value proposition. One of the primary goals of the healthcare reform act is to reduce cost while improving healthcare quality. We believe that adding a health coach will help in achieving this goal. The health coach is a medical professional who supports both the physician and the patient by meeting previously established goals. This research presents and analyzes the key roles of a health coach in a primary care practice.     

A Randomized,Controlled Pragmatic Trial of Telephonic Medication Therapy Management to Reduce Hospitalization in Home Health Patients

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a telephonic medication therapy management (MTM) service on reducing hospitalizations among home health patients.

Setting

Forty randomly selected, geographically diverse home health care centers in the United States.

Design

Two-stage, randomized, controlled trial with 60-day follow-up. All Medicare- insured home health care patients were eligible to participate. Twenty-eight consecutive patients within each care center were recruited and randomized to usual care or MTM intervention. The MTM intervention consisted of the following: (1) initial phone call by a pharmacy technician to verify active medications; (2) pharmacist-provided medication regimen review by telephone; and (3) follow-up pharmacist phone calls at day seven and as needed for 30 days. The primary outcome was 60-day all-cause hospitalization.

Data Collection

Data were collected from in-home nursing assessments using the OASIS-C. Multivariate logistic regression modeled the effect of the MTM intervention on the probability of hospitalization while adjusting for patients’ baseline risk of hospitalization, number of medications taken daily, and other OASIS-C data elements.

Principal Findings

A total of 895 patients (intervention n = 415, control n = 480) were block-randomized to the intervention or usual care. There was no significant difference in the 60-day probability of hospitalization between the MTM intervention and control groups (Adjusted OR: 1.26, 95 percent CI: 0.89–1.77, p = .19). For patients within the lowest baseline risk quartile (n = 232), the intervention group was three times more likely to remain out of the hospital at 60 days (Adjusted OR: 3.79, 95 percent CI: 1.35–10.57, p = .01) compared to the usual care group.

Conclusions

This MTM intervention may not be effective for all home health patients; however, for those patients with the lowest-risk profile, the MTM intervention prevented patients from being hospitalized at 60 days.     

Shared decision making in consultations for hypertension: Qualitative study in general practice

BackgroundHypertension is mainly managed in primary care. Shared decision making is widely recommended as an approach to treatment decision making. However, no studies have investigated; in detail, what happens during primary care consultations for hypertension.AimTo understand patients’ and clinicians’ experience of shared decision making for hypertension in primary care, in order to propose how it might be better supported.DesignLongitudinal qualitative study.SettingFive general practices in south‐west England.MethodInterviews with a purposive sample of patients with hypertension, and with the health‐care practitioners they consulted, along with observations of clinical consultations, for up to 6 appointments. Interviews and consultations were audio‐recorded and observational field notes taken. Data were analysed thematically.ResultsForty‐six interviews and 18 consultations were observed, with 11 patients and nine health‐care practitioners (five GPs, one pharmacist and three nurses). Little shared decision making was described by participants or observed. Often patients’ understanding of their hypertension was limited, and they were not aware there were treatment choices. Consultations provided few opportunities for patients and clinicians to reach a shared understanding of their treatment choices. Opportunities for patients to engage in choices were limited by structured consultations and the distribution of decisions across consultations.ConclusionFor shared decision making to be better supported, consultations need to provide opportunities for patients to learn about their condition, to understand that there are treatment choices, and to discuss these choices with clinicians.Patient or Public ContributionA patient group contributed to the design of this study.     

Process evaluation of an intervention to improve HIV treatment outcomes among children and adolescents

SETTING:Children and adolescents with HIV encounter challenges in initiation and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). A community-based support intervention of structured home visits, aimed at improving initiation, adherence and treatment, was delivered by community health workers (CHWs) to children and adolescents newly diagnosed with HIV.OBJECTIVES:To 1) describe intervention delivery, 2) explore CHW, caregiver and adolescents’ perceptions of the intervention, 3) identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, and 4) ascertain treatment outcomes at 12 months’ post-HIV diagnosis.DESIGN:We drew upon: 1) semi-structured interviews (n = 22) with 5 adolescents, 11 caregivers and 6 CHWs, 2) 28 CHW field manuals, and 3) quantitative data for study participants (demographic information and HIV clinical outcomes).RESULTS:Forty-one children received at least a part of the intervention. Of those whose viral load was tested, 26 (n = 32, 81.3%) were virally suppressed. Interviewees felt that the intervention supported ART adherence and strengthened mental health. Facilitators to intervention delivery were convenience and rapport between CHWs and families. Stigma, challenges in locating participants and inadequate resources for CHWs were barriers.CONCLUSION:This intervention was helpful in supporting HIV treatment adherence among adolescents and children. Facilitators and barriers may be useful in developing future interventions.     

中国10个地区人群高血压患病率、知晓率、治疗率和控制情况分析

  目的  了解广东省广州市高血压患者“互联网 +”社区健康管理接受情况及其影响因素,为提高该地区高血压患者“互联网 +”社区健康管理率提供参考依据。  方法  于2018年10 — 12月采用分层随机抽样方法在广州市白云、南沙、越秀、天河、黄埔5个区抽取10家社区卫生服务机构的1 360例高血压患者进行问卷调查。  结果  广州市1 360例高血压患者中,接受“互联网 +”健康管理者976例,“互联网 +”健康管理接受率为71.76 %;多因素非条件logistic回归分析结果显示,文化程度高中及以上、有高血压家族史、不吸烟、睡眠良好、知晓诊断标准、自行测量血压和服药依从的广州市高血压患者更易接受“互联网 +”健康管理。  结论  广州市高血压患者对“互联网 +”健康管理的接受率较高;文化程度、睡眠情况及是否有高血压家族史、吸烟、知晓诊断标准、自行测量血压、服药依从是该地区高血压患者接受“互联网 +”健康管理的主要影响因素。     

Health insurance and treatment seeking behaviour: evidence from a low-income country

This paper analyses the effect of being insured under the voluntary component of Vietnamese Health Insurance, on patterns of treatment seeking behaviour. A multinomial logit model is estimated using household survey data from three provinces in Vietnam. Decisions regarding both the type of provider sought and type of care received are analysed. Insurance status is treated as both exogenous and endogenous to account for potential selection bias. The results indicate that, overall, insured patients are more likely to use outpatient facilities, and public providers, an effect that is particularly strong at lower income levels.     

医疗之家及其对我国卫生管理的借鉴意义

扩大基本卫生服务是改善群体健康、减低医疗花费的重要举措.介绍了美国当前被广泛推崇的—种基本卫生服务理念——医疗之家（patient centered medical home,PCMH）,详细分析了其特点及实施过程,并探讨了PCMH在我国基本卫生管理中的应用前景.     

社区高血压患者健康素养与基本公共卫生服务利用的相关性研究

  目的  了解高血压患者基层医疗机构就诊情况及其影响因素,为促进高血压患者利用基层卫生服务以及分级诊疗试点工作提供科学依据。  方法  收集2016年居民卫生服务利用行为监测中江苏、湖北、四川、广东4个省8个县1 597例高血压患者的调查数据,分析高血压患者的基层医疗机构就诊情况及其影响因素。  结果  调查的1 597例高血压患者中,选择到基层医疗机构就诊患者611例,基层医疗机构就诊率为38.26 %;多因素非条件logistic回归分析结果显示,文化程度中学及以上、家庭年均收入≥4万元和居住在农村的高血压患者到基层医疗机构的就诊率较低。  结论  高血压患者基层医疗机构就诊率较低,尤其是文化程度和收入水平较高和居住在农村的高血压患者。     

Comparing the effects of white coat hypertension and sustained hypertension on mortality in a UK primary care setting

PURPOSE We examined all-cause mortality within a primary care setting in patients with white coat hypertension or sustained hypertension in whom blood pressure (BP) monitoring was indicated.     

Integrated management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and depression treatment to improve medication adherence: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Depression commonly accompanies diabetes, resulting in reduced adherence to medications and increased risk for morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine whether a simple, brief integrated approach to depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) treatment improved adherence to oral hypoglycemic agents and antidepressant medications, glycemic control, and depression among primary care patients.

METHODS

We undertook a randomized controlled trial conducted from April 2010 through April 2011 of 180 patients prescribed pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes and depression in primary care. Patients were randomly assigned to an integrated care intervention or usual care. Integrated care managers collaborated with physicians to offer education and guideline-based treatment recommendations and to monitor adherence and clinical status. Adherence was assessed using the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). We used glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) assays to measure glycemic control and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression.

RESULTS

Intervention and usual care groups did not differ statistically on baseline measures. Patients who received the intervention were more likely to achieve HbA_1c levels of less than 7% (intervention 60.9% vs usual care 35.7%; P <.001) and remission of depression (PHQ-9 score of less than 5: intervention 58.7% vs usual care 30.7%; P <.001) in comparison with patients in the usual care group at 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

A randomized controlled trial of a simple, brief intervention integrating treatment of type 2 diabetes and depression was successful in improving outcomes in primary care. An integrated approach to depression and type 2 diabetes treatment may facilitate its deployment in real-world practices with competing demands for limited resources.