Impact of Computerized Reminders on Blood Pressure Documentation and Control

Numerous studies have examined potential causes for the racial differences in HTN prevalence and severity including baseline insulin levels, sympathetic nervous activity, intracellular calcium levels and intracellular sodium levels.[21-23] However, to our knowledge, there have been no studies examining the relationship of physician adherence to JNC guidelines to racial disparities in outcomes from HTN; nor have there been published studies examining the use of interventions such as computerized decision support tools or case-management to improve JNC adherence with the goal of reducing racial differences in blood pressure control. The aims of this study are: 1) To determine if physician's prescribing practices for HTN medications adhere to JNC guidelines for drug therapy.

2) To determine if there are variations in adherence to JNC guidelines based on patient race.

3) To determine if adherence to JNC guidelines improves blood pressure control. 4) To determine if the use of computerized medical reminders improves adherence to JNC guidelines.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hypertension
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Computerized reminders about treatment guidelines to providers who care for hypertensive patients

• Study Type: Interventional
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
      • Brigham and Women's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

We examined data obtained from the electronic medical record review of patients older than 20 years with a diagnosis of hypertension, with at least one hypertension-related outpatient visit to one of fourteen general medicine clinics in community health centers, community-based practices, and hospital-based practices affiliated with a large urban academic medical center during the one-year period prior to the beginning of the intervention trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients without documented hypertension-related primary care visits or less than 20 years of age

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: Double

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: LeRoi S. Hicks, MD, MPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Gandhi TK, Seger AC, Overhage JM, Murray MD, Hope C, Fiskio J, Teal E, Bates DW. Outpatient adverse drug events identified by screening electronic health records. J Patient Saf. 2010 Jun;6(2):91-6. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0b013e3181dcae06.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2003
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2005
• Study Completion (Actual): February 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 12, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): July 16, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 16, 2012
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2012
• Last Verified: July 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Hypertension
• Other Study ID Numbers: 3Ui8HS11046