Multi-ethnic Multi-level Strategies and Behavioral Economics to Eliminate Hypertension Disparities in Los Angeles County

The UCLA DECIPHeR Alliance study, Multi-ethnic Multi-level Strategies, and Behavioral Economics to Eliminate Hypertension Disparities in Los Angeles County, is led by Dr. Arleen Brown and Dr. Alejandra Casillas. The study will focus on the racial and ethnic gaps in evidence-based treatment that contribute to hypertension disparities in the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS). Of the 43% of LAC DHS patients with hypertension, 60% are uncontrolled. Racial and ethnic differences in hypertension rates and blood pressure control in the LAC DHS result from a multitude of factors such as diet, exercise, obesity, poverty, social support, hypertension measurement access, hypertension medication education, use, and adherence, hypertension community awareness and education, and variable health and socioeconomic resource access.

During the study's planning phase (UG3), barriers to and preferences for interventions and implementation strategies were identified at the patient, provider, clinic, health system, and community levels to tailor hypertension interventions with the goal of improving blood pressure control among racially and ethnically diverse safety net health system patients with uncontrolled HTN. This three-year phase included the formation of routine meetings with the study Steering Committee and five race- and ethnic-specific community action boards (CABs), a LAC DHS health system intervention and implementation planning group, a study meta-analysis team, a behavioral science subcommittee, and Technical Assistance meetings with NIH statisticians.

The intervention partners with LAC DHS to randomize clinics to one of three strategies: 1) provider-focused strategies, 2) patient-focused strategies, and 3) usual care strategies. Provider-focused strategies center on increasing provider knowledge of evidence-based blood pressure management, increasing cultural awareness of barriers to and facilitators of control, increasing access to medications, and integrating gained knowledge into practice. Patient-focused strategies include using culturally tailored materials and reminders to improve patient understanding of hypertension, how to manage the condition, and the available resources; increasing access to home blood pressure monitors; and social needs screening with linkage to community resources.

The UCLA DECIPHeR Team employs the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework to guide the implementation process. The team will use the RE-AIM framework to test the effectiveness of their implementation strategies.

Primary implementation aim:

To test the effectiveness of the implementation strategies (usual care, patient-focused strategies, and provider-focused strategies) on change in adoption of culturally tailored evidence-based practices (at the end of Year 1).

Inclusion criteria

• Hypertension code in EHR ((ICD-9 codes: 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 437.2 and ICD-10 codes: I10, I11.0, I11.9. I12.0, I12.9, I13.0, I13.10, I13.11, I13.2, I15.0, I15.8, I67.4)
• Accessing primary care at participating clinic in LAC DHS
• 18 years or older.

Exclusion criteria

• No hypertension codes in EHR
• Primary care outside of participating clinic or LAC DHS
• Under 18 years old