Controlling Hypertension in Native American and Other Populations

American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/ANs) face pervasive health disparities in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Treatment of hypertension is a pillar of cardiovascular disease prevention. Hypertension is the most common chronic health condition in the U.S. Uncontrolled hypertension increases the risk of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, kidney failure, and congestive heart failure. Hypertension rates are high, levels of control are low, and disparities in care are evident in AI/AN populations.

This study will take place at First Nations Community Healthsource (FNCH) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. FNCH provides primary medical care to urban AI/AN and other socially disadvantaged residents of the Albuquerque, New Mexico area. Approximately 40% of FNCH clients are AI/AN; Diné (Navajo) is the most common tribal affiliation. Many other clients served by FNCH are undocumented immigrants. Housing insecurity and homelessness are common.

This study will use a FNCH hypertension registry to identify all clients with hypertension (regardless of race or ethnicity). From this group, the study will recruit 512 clients, and randomize the participants without stratification to receive automated messages using an interactive voice recognition and text message intervention or to continue in usual care. Consistent with the principles of pragmatic randomized clinical trials, the study has few exclusion criteria in order to maximize inclusion of clients and generalizability of findings. Potentially eligible clients will be contacted by letter and phone. Those who express interest will complete a baseline visit where they provide informed consent, complete a baseline survey, and have blood pressure measured. The participants will then be randomized either to the intervention or usual care arms. Individuals randomized to the intervention arm will receive: reminders of upcoming appointments at FNCH; requests to reschedule missed appointments; reminders to refill medications; and weekly motivational messages to encourage self-care, appointment keeping, and medication-taking for hypertension. These participants will be offered a home blood pressure monitor and trained to use it if they accept, and will be asked if they wish to nominate a care partner to also receive notices of upcoming and missed appointments. In additional to their usual visits at FNCH, all participants will complete research visits with our study coordinators at 6 and 12 months, where they will again have BP measured and complete brief surveys.