Efficacy of enhanced emergency department discharge for chronic hypertension management - Results of a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: AchieveBP is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an education intervention for patients with chronic hypertension who have uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) at discharge from an urban emergency department (ED). The study examined efficacy and moderators of an educational intervention in an RCT on BP control at 180-day post-intervention. METHODS: Participants were recruited from a single, urban ED and randomized to receive or not to receive hypertension education. To minimize potential bias, participants were all started on an evidence-based anti-hypertensive regimen and medications were dispensed directly to participants by the study team. Bivariate analysis was performed to examine differences in sociodemographic characteristics between patients achieving BP control and those who did not. Paired t-test was used to compare the difference of systolic and diastolic BP between baseline and 180 days post-discharge. Multiple logistic regression analysis examined interaction of covariates and intervention on achieving BP control. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine participants were randomized into the study. All were African-American with a mean age of 47.6 (SD = 10.8) years; 51% were male, 63% had smoked cigarettes and 15% had diabetes. A total of 66 patients completed the study (47.4%), 44 of whom (67%) achieved BP control. However, there was no difference in BP reduction or control between the two groups. Age and smoking status showed moderation effects on intervention efficacy. CONCLUSION: Despite a neutral effect of our intervention, a high level of BP control was achieved overall, suggesting that the ED may be a viable location for efforts aimed at reducing the impact of chronic hypertension in predominantly African American communities.

The utility of the triage electrocardiogram for the detection of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

INTRODUCTION: Current AHA/ACC guidelines on the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) suggest that an ECG is indicated within 10minutes of arrival for patients arriving to the Emergency Department (ED) with symptoms concerning for STEMI. In response, there has been a creep towards performing ECGs more frequently in triage. The objectives of this study were to quantify the number of triage ECGs performed at our institution, assess the proportion of ECGs performed within current hospital guidelines, and evaluate the rate of STEMI detection in triage ECGs. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all emergency department patients presenting over a period of 8days who had a triage ECG performed. Cases of bradycardia or tachycardia were excluded. Data collection included patient demographics, presenting complaint, cardiac risk factors, troponin values, and final diagnosis. Summary statistics are reported in a descriptive manner. RESULTS: During the study period, 538 patients had a triage ECG for possible STEMI with no STEMI identified and 16 NSTEMI diagnoses (confirmed as positive troponins following ED assessment). Sixty-three (11.7%) patients did not meet internal criteria for a triage ECG. A NSTEMI ED diagnosis was identified in 3% of patients who met internal triage ECG criteria and 1.6% who did not meet criteria (p=0.29). A cost analysis was performed using an average of 50 STEMI cases diagnosed in our ED per given year. Current institutional ECG billing rates for ECGs performed and interpreted is $125 per ECG, providing an estimated triage ECG charge to detect one STEMI at $54,295. DISCUSSION: This retrospective study of 538 triage ECG's performed over an 8day period identified no STEMIs and 16 NSTEMIs. A very large number of ECGs were done at triage overall and included patients who do not meet our own hospital criteria. Given the extremely low yield and high associated charges, current guidelines for triage ECG for identifying a possible STEMI should be reviewed.

Patient education and follow-up as an intervention for hypertensive patients discharged from an emergency department: a randomized control trial study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Persistently elevated blood pressure (BP) is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease development, making effective hypertension management an issue of considerable public health importance. Hypertension is particularly prominent among African Americans, who have higher disease prevalence and consistently lower BP control than Whites and Hispanics. Emergency departments (ED) have limited resources for chronic disease management, especially for under-served patients dependent upon the ED for primary care, and are not equipped to conduct follow-up. Kiosk-based patient education has been found to be effective in primary care settings, but little research has been done on the effectiveness of interactive patient education modules as ED enhanced discharge for an under-served urban minority population. METHODS/DESIGN: Achieving Blood Pressure Control Through Enhanced Discharge (AchieveBP) is a behavioral RCT patient education intervention for patients with a history of hypertension who have uncontrolled BP at ED discharge. The project will recruit up to 200 eligible participants at the ED, primarily African-American, who will be asked to return to a nearby clinical research center for seven, thirty and ninety day visits, with a 180 day follow-up. Consenting participants will be randomized to either an attention-control or kiosk-based interactive patient education intervention. To control for potential medication effects, all participants will be prescribed similar, evidenced-based anti-hypertensive regimens and have their prescription filled onsite at the ED and during visits to the clinic. The primary target endpoint will be success in achieving BP control assessed at 180 days follow-up post-ED discharge. The secondary aim will be to assess the relationship between patient activation and self-care management. DISCUSSION: The AchieveBP trial will determine whether using interactive patient education delivered through health information technology as ED enhanced discharge with subsequent education sessions at a clinic is an effective strategy for achieving short-term patient management of BP. The project is innovative in that it uses the ED as an initial point of service for kiosk-based health education designed to increase BP self-management. It is anticipated findings from this translational research could also be used as a resource for patient education and follow-up with hypertensive patients in primary care settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov. REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02069015. Registered February 19, 2014.

Consumer health information technology in an adult public health primary care clinic: a heart health education feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and short term outcomes of using an interactive kiosk integrated into office flow to deliver health information in a primary care clinic. METHODS: Fifty-one adults with BMI ≥25 were randomly assigned to use a kiosk with attached devices to receive a six-week healthy eating/weight monitoring (intervention) or general health/BP monitoring (attention-control) program. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 8 weeks (post) and three month follow-up. RESULTS: Participants completed an average of 2.73 weekly sessions, with transportation and time given as limiting factors. They found the kiosk easy to use (97%), liked the touchscreen (94%), and would use the kiosk again (81%). Although there were no differences between groups, the 27 completing all assessments showed reduced weight (p=.02), and decreased systolic (p=.01) and diastolic BP (p<.001) at follow-up. Although healthy eating behaviors increased, the change was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Using a kiosk within a clinic setting is a feasible method of providing health information and self-monitoring. Multi-session educational content can provide beneficial short-term outcomes in overweight adults. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: A kiosk with attached peripherals in a clinic setting is a viable adjunct to provider education, particularly in medically underserved areas.