Improving hypertension control: a team approach in a primary care setting.

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) control rates in the United States have not improved significantly during the past decade. There has been limited study of improvement efforts focusing on guideline implementation and changes in the model of care to address hypertension. METHODS: Five physician (MD)/registered nurse (RN)/licensed practical nurse (LPN) teams in a large community practice modified their care model in 1997 to manage hypertensive patients as part of guideline implementation efforts. The other 25 MD teams in the same setting practiced in the usual model, but were exposed to the guideline recommendations. BP control rates of patients in each group were assessed monthly. After nine months of testing the new care model, 10 additional teams adopted the model. RESULTS: In the pilot group, hypertension control rates showed statistically significant improvement from pre- (33.1%) to postimplementation (49.7%). After adjusting for age, this was significantly greater than the improvement in the control group (p = 0.033). Medication changes were more frequent in the pilot group (32.3%) than in the control group (27.6%); however, the differences were not statistically significant. A longitudinal examination of the hypertension patients in the study showed that improved BP control was sustained for at least 12 months. DISCUSSION: A change in the model of care for hypertensive patients within a primary care practice resulted in significant, sustainable improvement in BP control rates. These changes are consistent with the chronic care model developed by Wagner; practice redesign appeared to be the most important change.

History of the development of antiemetic guidelines at Mayo Clinic Rochester.

This article describes the historic experience of the development of antiemetic guidelines for patients taking chemotherapy drugs at Mayo Clinic Rochester. The initial guidelines for the use of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine3) receptor antagonists for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting were developed in early 1995 and implemented in September 1995. In February 1997, the guidelines were reviewed and modified. In the spring of 1998, major changes were made based on new data from the literature and discussions with antiemetic authorities in the United States. These guidelines were implemented in July 1998. The guidelines were again reviewed and modified in December 1998. In addition, we compared costs associated with the 1997 guidelines and the December 1998 guidelines. The developed guidelines, utilizing clinically available agents, seem to provide high-quality patient care at a reasonable cost.

Disease management strategies: managing care giving in managed care.

The rapid rate of change in health care delivery systems has challenged and troubled health care providers. Some new health care delivery systems primarily emphasize the economics of medical care and leave providers with a sense that their profession has strayed from its mission. In addition, there is an increasing demand by payers and the public for public accountability for the quality and expense of clinical services. One response to these changes in health care is the use of disease management strategies. There is a growing body of knowledge regarding disease management strategies and practice guidelines in the literature. This article discusses how a provider group can implement improvement in the clinical process successfully by applying techniques of disease management.