Telephone Outreach Is Associated With Improved Blood Pressure in Patients at an Urban Community Health Center.

Abstract

Hypertension (HTN) disproportionately affects marginalized communities due to persistent healthcare disparities and socioeconomic barriers. Less than half of patients with HTN achieve blood pressure (BP) control, with Black Americans on antihypertensive medication experiencing lower rates of BP control (34.9%) compared to non-Hispanic Whites (45.0%). This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of a telephone outreach intervention designed to improve BP control through self-management in a historically underserved population. This single-cohort, pre-post intervention study was conducted at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Patients with severe hypertension were identified and contacted by trained student ambassadors (SAs). These SAs provided hypertension-specific health education, health goal-setting, guidance for self-monitoring blood pressure, and referrals to address health-related social needs (HRSN). During in-person classes, patients were educated on BP self-monitoring and goal setting regarding healthy lifestyle practices. Results from this study showed a reduction in SBP and DBP among engaged patients and improved hypertension knowledge. These findings suggest that telephone outreach, when combined with skill-based in-person education, can improve hypertension control in Black American populations.