Recidivism to uncontrolled blood pressure in patients with previously controlled hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Control of hypertension has improved nationally with focus on identifying and treating elevated blood pressures (BPs) to guideline recommended levels. However, once BP control is achieved, the frequency in which BP falls out of control and the factors associated with BP recidivism is unknown. In this retrospective cohort study conducted at 2 large, integrated health care systems we sought to examine rates and predictors of BP recidivism in adults with controlled hypertension. No change for methods, results and conclusion. METHODS: Patients with a prior diagnosis of hypertension based on a combination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes, receipt of antihypertensive medications, and/or elevated BP readings were eligible to be included. We defined controlled hypertension as normotensive BP readings (<140/90 mmHg or <130/80 mmHg in those with diabetes) at 2 consecutive primary care visits. We then followed up patients for BP recidivism defined by the date of the second of 2 consecutive BP readings >140/90 mmHg (>130/80 mmHg for diabetes or chronic kidney disease) during a median follow-up period of 16.6 months. Cox proportional hazards regression assessed the association between patient characteristics, comorbidities, medication adherence, and provider medication management with time to BP recidivism. RESULTS: A total of 23,321 patients with controlled hypertension were included in this study. The proportion of patients with hypertension recidivism was 24.1% over the 16.6-month study period. For those with BP recidivism, the median time to relapse was 7.3 months. In multivariate analysis, those with diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 3.99, CI 3.67-4.33), high normal baseline BP (for systolic BP HR 1.03, CI 1.03-1.04), or low antihypertensive medication adherence (HR 1.20, CI 1.11-1.29) had significantly higher rates of hypertension recidivism. Limitations of this work include demographics of our patient sample, which may not reflect other communities in addition to the intrinsic limitations of office-based BP measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive recidivism occurs in a significant portion of patients with previously well-controlled BP and accounts for a substantial fraction of patients with poorly controlled hypertension. Systematic identification of those most at risk for recidivism and implementation of strategies to minimize hypertension recidivism may improve overall levels of BP control and hypertension-related quality measures.

"I'm Torn": Qualitative Analysis of Dental Practitioner-Perceived Barriers, Facilitators, and Solutions to HPV Vaccine Promotion.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can prevent HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers. Dental practitioners are uniquely positioned to promote HPV vaccines during routine dental care but experience barriers to doing so. Qualitative interviews were conducted with dental practitioners to understand barriers and inform intervention strategies to promote HPV vaccines. Dental practitioners were invited to participate in phone interviews about knowledge, self-efficacy, and the fear of negative consequences related to HPV vaccine promotion as well as feedback on potential interventions to address these barriers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis with a sort-and-sift matrix approach. Interviews were completed with 11 practitioners from six dental clinics (avg. 31 min). Though most thought HPV vaccination was important, they lacked detailed knowledge about when and to whom the vaccine should be recommended. This led to a hypothesized need for discussions of sexual history, feelings of limited self-efficacy to make the recommendation, and fear of patient concerns. Still, practitioners were supportive of additional training opportunities and provided input into specific interventions. The nuance of how these barriers were described by practitioners, as well as the possible solutions they identified, will help shape future interventions supporting HPV vaccine promotion in dental care.

Are characteristics of the medical home associated with diabetes care costs?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between primary care medical home clinical practice systems corresponding to the domains of the Chronic Care Model and annual diabetes-related health care costs incurred by members of a health plan with type-2 diabetes and receiving care at one of 27 Minnesota-based medical groups. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of the relation between patient-level costs and Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) practice systems as measured by the Physician Practice Connections Readiness Survey. METHODS: Multivariate regressions adjusting for patient demographics, health status, and comorbidities estimated the relationship between the use of PCMH clinical practice systems and 3 annual cost outcomes: total costs of diabetes-related care, outpatient medical costs of diabetes-related care, and inpatient costs of diabetes-related care (ie, inpatient and emergency care). RESULTS: Overall PCMH scores were not significantly related to any annual cost outcome; however, 2 of 5 subdomains were related. Health Care Organization scores were related to significantly lower total (P=0.04) and inpatient costs (P=0.03). Clinical Decision Support was marginally related to a lower total cost (P=0.06) and significantly related to lower inpatient costs (P=0.02). A detailed analysis of the Health Care Organization domain showed that compared with medical groups with only quality improvement, those with performance measurement and individual provider feedback averaged $245/patient less. Medical groups with clinical reminders for counseling averaged $338/patient less. CONCLUSIONS: Certain PCMH practice systems were related to lower costs, but these effects are small compared with total costs. Further research about how these and other PCMH domains affect costs over time is needed.

Adjusting for Variation in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Is Needed to Improve Care After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Limited quantitative information exists about the patient and surgeon factors driving variation in patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scores, limiting the use of these data in understanding and improving quality. The overall goal of this study was to learn how to adjust PROM scores to enable both individual and group quality improvement. METHODS: Observational study in which preoperative Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement System (PROMIS)-10 measures were prospectively obtained through patient survey from 1,173 of 1,435 possible patients before total knee arthroplasty and from 810 of the 1,173 patients at 12 months postoperatively (response rates = 81.7% and 69.0%). Regression analyses identified the relative contribution of patient and surgeon risk factors to OKS change from baseline to 12 months. Variation in patient scores and surgeon performance was described and quantified. Adjusted outcomes were used to calculate an observed and expected score for each surgeon. RESULTS: (1) Moderate variation was observed in pre-/post-OKS change among the surgeons (n = 16, mean change = 15.5 ± 2.2, range = 12.1-21.1). Forty-five percent of the variance in OKS change was explained by the factors included in our model. (2) Patient preoperative OKS and PROMIS physical score, race, and BMI were markedly associated with change in OKS, but other patient factors, surgeon volume, and years of experience were not. (3) Eight surgeons had observed scores greater than expected after adjustment, providing an opportunity to learn what strategies were associated with better outcomes. DISCUSSION: Traditional age/sex adjustment of patient mix would have had no effect on mean PROM scores by surgeon. An adjustment model that includes the factors found to be markedly associated with outcomes will allow care systems to identify individual surgeon care management strategies potentially important for improving patient outcomes.

Impact of updated pediatric hypertension guidelines on progression from elevated blood pressure to hypertension in a community-based primary care population.

In 2017, definitions for pediatric hypertension were updated. A threshold of 130/80 mm Hg was introduced for stage 1 hypertension in adolescents, and children with obesity were removed from the reference population, lowering the 95th percentile, compared to the 2004 Fourth Report. The impact of these changes on care for youth with elevated blood pressure has not been well described. The objective of this study was to compare the 2017 and 2004 criteria for hypertension, evaluating how they impact estimates of risks for elevated blood pressure to progress to hypertension. Data came from youth 10-17 years of age with ≥2 elevated blood pressure measurements (≥90th percentile or ≥120/80 mm Hg) between 04/15/2014 and 04/14/2016 and three additional measurements over two subsequent years. Blood pressures were recorded in primary care practices within a large health system, as part of routine care. Rates of incident hypertension following persistent elevated blood pressure based on the 2017 guidelines vs the 2004 Fourth Report were compared. We found, among 2025 youth with persistent elevated blood pressure, 46% were female and mean age was 14.6 years. Over 2 years of follow-up, progression to hypertension occurred in 5.9% using the 2017 guidelines vs 1.1% using 2004 Fourth Report definitions. Using the 2017 criteria, progression was most common in older youth and those with obesity. In conclusion, for most youth, elevated blood pressure does not progress to hypertension within 2 years. However, progression from elevated blood pressure to hypertension was more than 5-fold greater when applying the 2017 guidelines compared to the older 2004 Fourth Report criteria.

Clinical Decision Support for Recognition and Management of Hypertension: A Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Although blood pressure (BP) is routinely measured in outpatient visits, elevated BP and hypertension are often not recognized. We evaluated whether an electronic health record-linked clinical decision support (CDS) tool could improve the recognition and management of hypertension in adolescents. METHODS: We randomly assigned 20 primary care clinics within an integrated care system to CDS or usual care. At intervention sites, the CDS displayed BPs and percentiles, identified incident hypertension on the basis of current or previous BPs, and offered tailored order sets. The recognition of hypertension was identified by an automated review of diagnoses and problem lists and a manual review of clinical notes, antihypertensive medication prescriptions, and diagnostic testing. Generalized linear mixed models were used to test the effect of the intervention. RESULTS: Among 31 579 patients 10 to 17 years old with a clinic visit over a 2-year period, 522 (1.7%) had incident hypertension. Within 6 months of meeting criteria, providers recognized hypertension in 54.9% of patients in CDS clinics and 21.3% of patients in usual care (P ≤ .001). Clinical recognition was most often achieved through visit diagnoses or documentation in the clinical note. Within 6 months of developing incident hypertension, 17.1% of CDS subjects were referred to dieticians or weight loss or exercise programs, and 9.4% had additional hypertension workup versus 3.9% and 4.2%, respectively (P = .001 and .046, respectively). Only 1% of patients were prescribed an antihypertensive medication within 6 months of developing hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The CDS had a significant, beneficial effect on the recognition of hypertension, with a moderate increase in guideline-adherent management.

TeenBP: Development and Piloting of an EHR-Linked Clinical Decision Support System to Improve Recognition of Hypertension in Adolescents.

CONTEXT: Blood pressure (BP) is routinely measured in children and adolescents during primary care visits. However, elevated BP or hypertension is frequently not diagnosed or evaluated further by primary care providers. Barriers to recognition include lack of clinician buy-in, competing priorities, and complexity of the standard BP tables. CASE DESCRIPTION: We have developed and piloted TeenBP- a web-based, electronic health record (EHR) linked system designed to improve recognition of prehypertension and hypertension in adolescents during primary care visits. MAJOR THEMES: Important steps in developing TeenBP included the following: review of national BP guidelines, consideration of clinic workflow, engagement of clinical leaders, and evaluation of the impact on clinical sites. Use of a web-based platform has facilitated updates to the TeenBP algorithm and to the message content. In addition, the web-based platform has allowed for development of a sophisticated display of patient-specific information at the point of care. In the TeenBP pilot, conducted at a single pediatric and family practice site with six clinicians, over a five-month period, more than half of BPs in the hypertensive range were clinically recognized. Furthermore, in this small pilot the TeenBP clinical decision support (CDS) was accepted by providers and clinical staff. Effectiveness of the TeenBP CDS will be determined in a two-year cluster-randomized clinical trial, currently underway at 20 primary care sites. CONCLUSION: Use of technology to extract and display clinically relevant data stored within the EHR may be a useful tool for improving recognition of adolescent hypertension during busy primary care visits. In the future, the methods developed specifically for TeenBP are likely to be translatable to a wide range of acute and chronic issues affecting children and adolescents.

Integrating tobacco dependence counseling into electronic dental records: a multi-method approach.

Dentistry has historically seen tobacco dependence as a medical problem. As a consequence, dentistry has not adopted or developed effective interventions to deal with tobacco dependence. With the expanded use of electronic dental records, the authors identified an opportunity to incorporate standardized expert support for tobacco dependence counseling during the dental visit. Using qualitative results from observations and focus groups, a decision support system was designed that suggested discussion topics based on the patient's desire to quit and his or her level of nicotine addiction. Because dental providers are always pressed for time, the goal was a three-minute average intervention interval. To fulfill the provider's need for an easy way to track ongoing interventions, script usage was recorded. This process helped the provider track what he or she had said to the patient about tobacco dependence during previous encounters and to vary the messages. While the individual elements of the design process were not new, the combination of them proved to be very effective in designing a usable and accepted intervention. The heavy involvement of stakeholders in all components of the design gave providers and administrators ownership of the final product, which was ultimately adopted for use in all the clinics of a large dental group practice in Minnesota.