Project #4: Embedded – Pharmacist Management of Hypertension Using a Data-driven Approach
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Description
Across the Detroit-Northwest, Harbortown, and Academic Internal Medicine clinics, the average blood pressure (BP) control rate between March to September 2019 was only 64% which is below our system-wide goal of 80%. This lack of control is also a problem nationally considering nearly 108 million (45%) American adults are diagnosed with hypertension, yet only one in four patients (24%) have a controlled BP.1 Furthermore, African American patients have the highest rate of hypertension (56%) amongst all racial groups with even higher mortality rates from hypertension-induced cardiovascular diseases, yet experience significant barriers to achieve optimal BP control.1-3The overall goals of this initiative were to improve patient outcomes through optimized BP medication regimens and improved medication adherence. This project aimed to improve BP control in a timely fashion by utilizing embedded clinical pharmacists in primary care clinics. These embedded-pharmacists accept referrals by providers as well as identify patients not at goal by using a data-analytics tool. This tool may help identify patients at risk of loss to follow-up or patients who may not routinely seek care from their primary care physician (PCP). This allows embedded-pharmacists to reach out to more patients with uncontrolled BP in their respective clinics. Because pharmacists are the medication experts, they are in a unique position to optimize antihypertensive medication regimens and to improve medication adherence.
Publication Date
3-16-2021
Recommended Citation
Soreide, Kristin K.; Thomas, Emily; Solomon, Octavia; Farhat, Nada M.; Kolander, Sarah; Gottschall, Terry; George, Diane L.; Szandzik, Ed; Kalus, James; Eis, Roberta; and White-Perkins, Denise, "Project #4: Embedded – Pharmacist Management of Hypertension Using a Data-driven Approach" (2021). Quality Expo 2021. 7.
https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/qualityexpo2021/7
