Interventions and contextual factors to improve retention in care for patients with hypertension in primary care: Hermeneutic systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Regular engagement over time in hypertension care, or retention, is a crucial but understudied step in optimizing patient outcomes. This systematic review leverages a hermeneutic methodology to identify, evaluate, and quantify the effects of interventions and contextual factors for improving retention for patients with hypertension. METHODS: We searched for articles that were published between 2000 and 2022 from multiple electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, clinicaltrials.gov, and WHO International Trials Registry. We followed the latest version of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline to report the findings for this review. We also synthesized the findings using a hermeneutic methodology for systematic reviews, which used an iterative process to review, integrate, analyze, and interpret evidence. RESULTS: From 4686 screened titles and abstracts, 18 unique studies from 9 countries were identified, including 10 (56%) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 3 (17%) cluster RCTs, and 5 (28%) non-RCT studies. The number of participants ranged from 76 to 1562. The overall mean age range was 41-67 years, and the proportion of female participants ranged from 0% to 100%. Most (n = 17, 94%) studies used non-physician personnel to implement the proposed interventions. Fourteen studies (78%) implemented multilevel combinations of interventions. Education and training, team-based care, consultation, and Short Message Service reminders were the most common interventions tested. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents the most comprehensive findings on retention in hypertension care to date and fills the gaps in the literature, including the effectiveness of interventions, their components, and contextual factors. Adaptation of and implementing HIV care models, such differentiated service delivery, may be more effective and merit further study. REGISTRATION: CRD42021291368. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021291368. Available at: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=291368.

Process Evaluation of a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of a Quadruple Ultra-Low-Dose Treatment for Hypertension Within a Federally Qualified Health Center Network (QUARTET USA).

BACKGROUND: This convergent parallel-design mixed-methods process evaluation of the QUARTET USA (Quadruple Ultra-Low-Dose Treatment for Hypertension USA) clinical trial (NCT03640312) explores patient and health care professional perceptions about the use of low-dose quadruple therapy (LDQT) as a novel strategy for hypertension management. METHODS AND RESULTS: A survey of all 62 patients enrolled in the QUARTET USA trial was conducted. A subsample of 13 patients and 11 health care professionals, recruited via purposive sampling, took part in semistructured interviews. At enrollment, 68% of participants (mean [SD] age, 51.7 [11.5] years; 56% self-identified as Hispanic: Mexican ethnicity, 16% as Hispanic: other ethnicity, 16% as Black race, 8% as White race, and 1.6% as South Asian race) reported that their current health depended on blood pressure medications, and 48% were concerned about blood pressure medications. At trial completion, 80% were satisfied with LDQT, 96% were certain the benefits of taking LDQT outweighed the disadvantages, and 96% reported that LDQT was convenient to take. Both patients and health care professionals found LDQT acceptable because it reduced patients' perceived pill burden and facilitated medication adherence. Health care professionals stated that a perceived limitation of LDQT was the inability to titrate doses. Steps to facilitate LDQT implementation include introducing stepped-care combinations and treatment protocols, inclusion in clinical practice guidelines, and eliminating patient cost barriers. CONCLUSIONS: LDQT was an acceptable strategy for hypertension treatment among patients and health care professionals involved in the QUARTET USA clinical trial. Although LDQT was generally perceived as beneficial for maintaining patients' blood pressure control and facilitating adherence, some clinicians perceived limitations in titration inflexibility, adverse effects, and costs. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03640312.

Medical Dominance in Global Health Institutions as an Obstacle to Equity and Effectiveness Comment on "Power Dynamics Among Health Professionals in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Global Fund Policy Process".

Medical professionals exercised structural and productive power in the Global Fund's Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in Nigeria, directly impacting the selection of approaches to HIV/AIDS care, as described in a case study by Lassa and colleagues. This research contributes to a robust scholarship on how biomedical power inhibits a holistic understanding of health and prevents the adoption of solutions that are socially grounded, multi-disciplinary, and co-created with communities. We highlight Lassa and colleagues' findings demonstrating the 'long arm' of global health institutions in country-level health policy choices, and reflect on how medical dominance within global institutions serves as a tool of control in ways that pervert incentives and undermine equity and effectiveness. We call for increased research and advocacy to surface these conduits of power and begin to loosen their hold in the global health policy agenda.

Adherence to the 2017 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pediatric Hypertension in Safety-Net Clinics.

Importance: The 2017 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the diagnosis and management of pediatric hypertension (PHTN) categorizes a greater proportion of children with elevated blood pressure and PHTN, yet several barriers to CPG adherence have been noted. Objective: To assess adherence to the 2017 CPG for the diagnosis and management of PHTN and use of a clinical decision support (CDS) tool to calculate blood pressure percentiles. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used electronic health record-extracted data from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, among patients visiting 1 of 74 federally qualified health centers in AllianceChicago, a national Health Center Controlled Network. Children and adolescents (aged 3-17 years; hereinafter referred to as children) who attended at least 1 visit and had at least 1 blood pressure reading at or above the 90th percentile or diagnosis of elevated blood pressure or PHTN were eligible for data to be included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2020, to February 21, 2023. Exposures: Blood pressure at or above the 90th or 95th percentile. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diagnosis of PHTN (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision [ICD-10], code I10) or elevated blood pressure (ICD-10 code R03.0) and CDS tool use; blood pressure management (antihypertensive medication, lifestyle counseling, referral); and follow-up visit attendance. Descriptive statistics described the sample and rates of guideline adherence. Logistic regression analyses identified patient- and clinic-level associations with guideline adherence. Results: The sample consisted of 23 334 children (54.9% boys; 58.6% White race; median age, 8 [IQR, 4-12] years). Guideline-adherent diagnosis was observed in 8810 children (37.8%) with blood pressure at or above the 90th percentile and 146 of 2542 (5.7%) with blood pressure at or above the 95th percentile at 3 or more visits. The CDS tool was used to calculate blood pressure percentiles in 10 524 cases (45.1%) and was associated with significantly greater odds of PHTN diagnosis (odds ratio, 2.14 [95% CI, 1.10-4.15]). Among 15 422 children with blood pressure at or above the 95th percentile, antihypertensive medication was prescribed to 831 (5.4%), lifestyle counseling was provided to 14 841 (96.2%), and blood pressure-related referrals were given to 848 (5.5%). Guideline-adherent follow-up was observed in 8651 of 19 049 children (45.4%) with blood pressure at or above the 90th percentile and 2598 of 15 164 (17.1%) with blood pressure at or above the 95th percentile. Differences in guideline adherence by patient- and clinic-level factors were observed. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, fewer than 50% of children with elevated blood pressure had a guideline-adherent diagnosis code or attended guideline-adherent follow-up. Using a CDS tool was associated with guideline-adherent diagnosis, but the tool was underused. Further work is needed to understand how to best support implementation of tools promoting PHTN diagnosis, management, and follow-up.

Health system adaptions to improve care for people living with non-communicable diseases during COVID-19 in low-middle income countries: A scoping review.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to health care for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has been significantly disrupted. Calls have been made to adapt health systems and innovate service delivery models to improve access to care. We identified and summarized the health systems adaptions and interventions implemented to improve NCD care and their potential impact on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We comprehensively searched Medline/PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, PsycINFO, Global Literature on coronavirus disease, and Web of Science for relevant literature published between January 2020 and December 2021. While we targeted articles written in English, we also included papers published in French with abstracts written in English. Results: After screening 1313 records, we included 14 papers from six countries. We identified four unique health systems adaptations/interventions for restoring, maintaining, and ensuring continuity of care for people living with NCDs: telemedicine or teleconsultation strategies, NCD medicine drop-off points, decentralization of hypertension follow-up services and provision of free medication to peripheral health centers, and diabetic retinopathy screening with a handheld smartphone-based retinal camera. We found that the adaptations/interventions enhanced continuity of NCD care during the pandemic and helped bring health care closer to patients using technology and easing access to medicines and routine visits. Telephonic aftercare services appear to have saved a significant amount of patients' time and funds. Hypertensive patients recorded better blood pressure controls over the follow-up period. Conclusions: Although the identified measures and interventions for adapting health systems resulted in potential improvements in access to NCD care and better clinical outcomes, further exploration is needed to establish the feasibility of these adaptations/interventions in different settings given the importance of context in their successful implementation. Insights from such implementation studies are critical for ongoing health systems strengthening efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and future global health security threats for people living with NCDs.

Stakeholder perspectives on Nigeria's national sodium reduction program: Lessons for implementation and scale-up.

BACKGROUND: To reduce excess dietary sodium consumption, Nigeria's 2019 National Multi-sectoral Action Plan (NMSAP) for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases includes policies based on the World Health Organization SHAKE package. Priority actions and strategies include mandatory sodium limits in processed foods, advertising restrictions, mass-media campaigns, school-based interventions, and improved front-of-package labeling. We conducted a formative qualitative evaluation of stakeholders' knowledge, and potential barriers as well as effective strategies to implement these NMSAP priority actions. METHODS: From January 2021 to February 2021, key informant interviews (n = 23) and focus group discussions (n = 5) were conducted with regulators, food producers, consumers, food retailers and restaurant managers, academia, and healthcare workers in Nigeria. Building on RE-AIM and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we conducted directed content qualitative analysis to identify anticipated implementation outcomes, barriers, and facilitators to implementation of the NMSAP sodium reduction priority actions. RESULTS: Most stakeholders reported high appropriateness of the NMSAP because excess dietary sodium consumption is common in Nigeria and associated with high hypertension prevalence. Participants identified multiple barriers to adoption and acceptability of implementing the priority actions (e.g., poor population knowledge on the impact of excess salt intake on health, potential profit loss, resistance to change in taste) as well as facilitators to implementation (e.g., learning from favorable existing smoking reduction and advertising strategies). Key strategies to strengthen NMSAP implementation included consumer education, mandatory and improved front-of-package labeling, legislative initiatives to establish maximum sodium content limits in foods and ingredients, strengthening regulation and enforcement of food advertising restrictions, and integrating nutrition education into school curriculum. CONCLUSION: We found that implementation and scale-up of the Nigeria NMSAP priority actions are feasible and will require several implementation strategies ranging from community-focused education to strengthening current and planned regulation and enforcement, and improvement of front-of-package labeling quality, consistency, and use.

Fixed-dose combination therapy-based protocol compared with free pill combination protocol: Results of a cluster randomized trial.

Fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy is recommended for hypertension management in Nigeria based on randomized trials at the individual level. This cluster-randomized trial evaluates effectiveness and safety of a treatment protocol that used two-drug FDC therapy as the second and third steps for hypertension control compared with a protocol that used free pill combinations. From January 2021 to June 2021, 60 primary healthcare centers in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria were randomized to a protocol using FDC therapy as second and third steps compared with a protocol that used the same medications in free pill combination therapy for these steps. Eligible patients were adults (≥18 years) with hypertension. The primary outcome was the odds of a patient being controlled at their last visit between baseline to 6-month follow-up in the FDC group compared to the free pill group. 4427 patients (mean [SD] age: 49.0 [12.4] years, 70.5% female) were registered with mean (SD) baseline systolic/diastolic blood pressure 155 (20.6)/96 (13.1) mm Hg. Baseline characteristics of groups were similar. After 6-months, hypertension control rate improved in the two treatment protocols, but there were no differences between the groups after adjustment (FDC = 53.9% versus free pill combination = 47.9%, cluster-adjusted p = .29). Adverse events were similarly low (<1%) in both groups. Both protocols improved hypertension control rates at 6-months in comparison to baseline, though no differences were observed between groups. Further work is needed to determine if upfront FDC therapy is more effective and efficient to improve hypertension control rates.

Process of Engaging Community and Scientific Partners in the Development of the CIRCL-Chicago Study Protocol.

Objectives: Hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults in the United States and disproportionately affects African Americans. Kaiser Permanente demonstrated that a "bundle" of evidence-based interventions significantly increased blood pressure control rates. This paper describes a multiyear process of developing the protocol for a trial of the Kaiser bundle for implementation in under-resourced urban communities experiencing cardiovascular health disparities during the planning phase of this biphasic award (UG3/UH3). Methods: The protocol was developed by a collaboration of faith-based community members, representatives from community health center practice-based research networks, and academic scientists with expertise in health disparities, implementation science, community-engaged research, social care interventions, and health informatics. Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the other grantees of the Disparities Elimination through Coordinated Interventions to Prevent and Control Heart and Lung Disease Risk (DECIPHeR) Alliance also contributed to developing our protocol. Results: The protocol is a hybrid type 3 effectiveness-implementation study using a parallel cluster randomized trial to test the impact of practice facilitation on implementation of the Kaiser bundle in community health centers compared with implementation without facilitation. A central strategy to the Kaiser bundle is to coordinate implementation via faith-based and other community organizations for recruitment and navigation of resources for health-related social risks. Conclusions: The proposed research has the potential to improve identification, diagnosis, and control of blood pressure among under-resourced communities by connecting community entities and healthcare organizations in new ways. Faith-based organizations are a trusted voice in African American communities that could be instrumental for eliminating disparities.

Efficacy and safety of a quadruple ultra-low-dose treatment for hypertension (QUARTET USA): Rationale and design for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Over half of patients with elevated blood pressure require multi-drug treatment to achieve blood pressure control. However, multi-drug treatment may lead to lower adherence and more adverse drug effects compared with monotherapy. OBJECTIVE: The Quadruple Ultra-low-dose Treatment for Hypertension (QUARTET) USA trial was designed to evaluate whether initiating treatment with ultra-low-dose quadruple-combination therapy will lower office blood pressure more effectively, and with fewer side effects, compared with initiating standard dose monotherapy in treatment naive patients with SBP < 180 and DBP < 110 mm Hg and patients on monotherapy with SBP < 160 and DBP < 100 mm Hg. METHODS/DESIGN: QUARTET USA was a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03640312) conducted in federally qualified health centers in a large city in the US. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either ultra-low-dose quadruple combination therapy or standard dose monotherapy. The primary outcome was mean change from baseline in office systolic blood pressure at 12-weeks, adjusted for baseline values. Secondary outcomes included measures of blood pressure change and variability, medication adherence, and health related quality of life. Safety outcomes included occurrence of serious adverse events, relevant adverse drug effects, and electrolyte abnormalities. A process evaluation aimed to understand provider experiences of implementation and participant experiences around side effects, adherence, and trust with clinical care. DISCUSSION: QUARTET USA was designed to evaluate whether a novel approach to blood pressure control would lower office blood pressure more effectively, and with fewer side effects, compared with standard dose monotherapy. QUARTET USA was conducted within a network of federally qualified healthcare centers with the aim of generating information on the safety and efficacy of ultra-low-dose quadruple-combination therapy in diverse groups that experience a high burden of hypertension.

Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria (HTN) Program: rationale and design for a type 2 hybrid, effectiveness, and implementation interrupted time series trial.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease in Nigeria and contributes to a large non-communicable disease burden. Our aim was to implement and evaluate a large-scale hypertension treatment and control program, adapted from the Kaiser Permanent Northern California and World Health Organization HEARTS models, within public primary healthcare centers in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. METHODS: A type 2 hybrid, interrupted time series design was used to generate novel information on large-scale implementation and effectiveness of a multi-level hypertension control program within 60 primary healthcare centers in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. During the formative phase, baseline qualitative assessments were held with patients, health workers, and administrators to inform implementation package adaptation. The package includes a hypertension patient registry with empanelment, performance and quality reporting, simplified treatment guideline emphasizing fixed-dose combination therapy, reliable access to quality essential medicines and technology, team-based care, and health coaching and home blood pressure monitoring. Strategies to implement and adapt the package were identified based on barriers and facilitators mapped in the formative phase, previous implementation experience, mid-term qualitative evaluation, and ongoing stakeholder and site feedback. The control phase included 11 months of sequential registration of hypertensive patients at participating primary healthcare centers, followed by implementation of the remainder of the package components and evaluation over 37 subsequent, consecutive months of the intervention phase. The formative phase was completed between April 2019 and August 2019, followed by initiation of the control phase in January 2020. The control phase included 11 months (January 2020 to November 2020) of sequential registration and empanelment of hypertensive patients at participating primary healthcare centers. After completion of the control phase in November 2020, the intervention phase commenced in December 2020 and will be completed in December 2023. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide robust evidence for implementation and effectiveness of a multi-level implementation package more broadly throughout the Federal Capital Territory, which may inform hypertension systems of care throughout Nigeria and in other low- and middle-income countries. Implementation outcome results will be important to understand what system-, site-, personnel-, and patient-level factors are necessary for successful implementation of this intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04158154 . The trial was prospectively registered on November 8, 2019.

Understanding the causes of breast cancer treatment delays at a teaching hospital in Ghana.

Poor outcomes for breast cancer in Ghana have been attributed to late presentation of symptoms at biomedical facilities. This study explored factors accounting for delays in initiation of breast cancer treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Focus group discussions were conducted with 20 women with breast cancer. A theory-driven thematic analysis identified three multilevel factors influencing treatment seeking delays: (1) patient (e.g. misinterpretation of symptoms, fear), (2) healthcare provider (e.g. negative attitudes) and (3) health systems (e.g. shortage of medicines). Addressing treatment delays will require multilevel interventions, including culturally congruent education, psychosocial counselling/support and strengthening health systems.

Factors Associated With Waiting Time for Breast Cancer Treatment in a Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

Background Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in Ghana. Data are limited on the predictors of poor outcomes in breast cancer patients in low-income countries; however, prolonged waiting time has been implicated. Among breast cancer patients who received treatment at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, this study evaluated duration and factors that influenced waiting time from first presentation to start of definitive treatment. Method We conducted a hospital-based retrospective study of 205 breast cancer patients starting definitive treatment at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital between May and December 2013. We used descriptive statistics to summarize patient characteristics. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman rank correlation were performed to examine the patients, health system, and health worker factors associated with median waiting time. Poisson regression was used to examine the determinants of waiting time. Results The mean age of the patients was 51.1 ± 11.8 years. The median waiting time was 5 weeks. The determinants of waiting time were level of education, age, income, marital status, ethnicity, disease stage, health insurance status, study sites, time interval between when biopsy was requested and when results were received and receipt of adequate information from health workers. Conclusion A prolonged waiting time to treatment occurs for breast cancer patients in Ghana, particularly for older patients, those with minimal or no education, with lower income, single patients, those with late disease, those who are insured, and who did not receive adequate information from the health workers. Time to obtain biopsy reports should be shortened. Patients and providers need education on timely treatment to improve prognosis.

Patterns of cardiovascular disease mortality in Ghana: a 5-year review of autopsy cases at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: Our study examined age and sex patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among autopsy cases at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, Ghana from 2006 to 2010. DESIGN: All cardiovascular deaths diagnosed at autopsy in the 5-year period beginning January 2006 and ending December 2010 located in the autopsy logbooks of the Department of Pathology, KBTH, were analyzed for this study. A total of 20,706 autopsy cases were done at KBTH within the five year period out of which 19,289 (93.2%) were analyzed for this study. Chi-square tests were used to show the association between sex and CVD deaths. RESULTS: The results show that CVD constituted more than one-fifth (22.2%) of all causes of deaths from autopsy cases at KBTH within the 5-year period. The proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) for CVD increased with age, rising steeply in mid-life to peak in the very old, accounting for almost 50% of deaths examined by age 85 years. Also, the findings showed that for the five year period, males had higher proportion of CVD death compared to females (chi2=27.284, P=.000). CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of population-based data, hospital records may serve as a useful tool in epidemiologic surveillance of disease. Thus, efforts should be made at health facilities to document minimal patient characteristics such as the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics to facilitate such studies in the future. In conclusion, further studies may be needed to primarily help in formulating strategies/policies for prevention of cardiovascular disease.