Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background
We pilot tested a 12-week, team-based, telemedicine hypertension management intervention tailored for patients with greater social needs. Our study included home blood pressure (BP) guided pharmacotherapy, frequent self-management support, and social support by pharmacists, nurses, community health workers and social workers. Twenty patients, including 17 Black patients, from 2 clinics in NC participated. We conducted program evaluation to inform future research.
Methods
After program completion, we conducted semi-structured interviews and administered validated surveys for program evaluation. We used Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment and Health Equity Implementation Frameworks to guide our study design. We utilized inductive and deductive coding methods, with thematic analysis to organize emergent themes. We used descriptive statistics to summarize survey results. We triangulated themes from interviews with survey results during analysis/results interpretation using concurrent embedded mixed methods (Qual + quant) for convergence/complementarity.
Results
Nineteen patients completed the interviews and 18 completed the surveys. A patient withdrew from the study. Several themes emerged around acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and patient centeredness about the program (Table). Patients’ perceptions that the program was acceptable and measuring BP at home was easy were most salient. Program was found to be highly patient centered.
Conclusions
Patients found our team-based telemedicine intervention acceptable, appropriate, feasible, and patient centered. The tailored telemedicine program holds promise for adoption by patients with greater social needs.