Improving cardiovascular control in a hypertensive population in primary care. Results from a staff training intervention.

Objective: A pilot study to evaluate a staff training intervention implementing a nurse-led hypertension care model.

Design and setting: Clinical and laboratory data from all primary care centres (PCCs) in the Swedish region Västra Götaland (VGR), retrieved from regional registers. Intervention started 2018 in 11 PCCs. A total of 190 PCCs served as controls. Change from baseline was assessed 2 years after start of intervention.

Intervention: Training of selected personnel, primarily in drug choice, team-based care, measurement techniques, and use of standardized medical treatment protocols.

Patients: Hypertensive patients without diabetes or ischemic heart disease were included. The intervention and control groups contained approximately 10,000 and 145,000 individuals, respectively.

Main outcome measures: Blood pressure (BP) <140/90 mmHg, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) <3.0 mmol/L, BP ending on -0 mmHg (digit preference, an indirect sign of manual measuring technique), choice of antihypertensive drugs, cholesterol lowering therapy and attendance patterns were measured.

Results: In the intervention group, the percentage of patients reaching the BP target did not change significantly, 56%-61% (control 50%-52%), non-significant. However, the percentage of patients with LDL-C < 3.0 mmol/L increased from 34%-40% (control 36%-36%), p = .043, and digit preference decreased, 39%-27% (control 41%-35%), p = 0.000. The number of antihypertensive drugs was constant, 1.63 - 1.64 (control 1.62 - 1.62), non-significant, but drug choice changed in line with recommendations.

Conclusion: Although this primary care intervention based on staff training failed to improve BP control, it resulted in improved cardiovascular control by improved cholesterol lowering treatment.