HIP Investigators received the 2020 ICTR Dissemination & Implementation Research Pilot Award

BP CheckHIP Investigators Christie Bartels (PI), Edmond Ramly (Co-I) and Heidi Brown (Co-I) received the 2020 ICTR Dissemination & Implementation Research Pilot Award for this project: Extending BP Connect: Implementing in diverse specialty clinics and for out-of-network follow-up

In a previous grant, Drs. Christie Bartels and Edmond Ramly developed BP Connect, a specialty clinic staff protocol adapted from an evidence-based primary care hypertension staff protocol. This protocol is performed by medical assistants or nurses during vitals assessment using a series of electronic health record (EHR) alerts prompting staff to Check to re-measure high blood pressures, Advise with brief counseling, and Connect using a simple clickable follow-up order. First tested in three UW clinics, BP Connect doubled rates of timely follow-up for high BP and lowered rates of high BP across 28,000 rheumatology visits. These promising results showed even greater benefit for Black patients, reducing disparities. The ICTR D&I grant will allow further analysis of the intervention in diverse and non-rheumatology specialty clinics and with community partners. New stakeholders, who requested BP Connect implementation, will assess implementing in: 1) UW specialty gynecology clinics (Heidi Brown and Makeba Williams); 2) Medical College of Wisconsin rheumatology with diverse patients; 3) Group Health Cooperative, the largest regional primary care HMO, to examine out-of-network follow-up; and 4) Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality practice transformation trainers build capacity for a statewide dissemination study.

Learn more about the ICTR Pilot Grant Awards here.