Nashville - Hypertension Management Model

Uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) is a significant risk factor for mortality among non-Hispanic black men, and black men have the highest incidence of death from HTN of any race, ethnic, or gender group in the United States. Sustained, trusting interactions with healthcare professionals and a lack of access to healthcare resources are both significant drivers of these disparities. A cluster, randomized controlled trial in the Metro Los Angeles area demonstrated that health promotion by black barbers resulted in greater reductions in blood pressure (BP) when combined with medication management by specialty-trained pharmacists, as compared to health promotion by barbers alone.

The purposes of this single arm, pre-test/post-test study are to a) establish an effective network of barbershop research hubs in Nashville, b) test the feasibility of engaging with a specialty-trained pharmacist in collaboration with a barbershop to treat blood pressure in black men, and c) create a local registry of potential subjects as a platform for enrolling black men in future studies. There is no central hypothesis in this pilot implementation study, but the study will evaluate the ability of the barbershop-based research methodology to recruit and retain black men in a study; the fidelity to the intervention by barbers, the pharmacist, and the hypertensive male participants; and the effectiveness of the intervention on systolic blood pressure reduction and patient satisfaction. All participants will also be offered the opportunity to participate in a separate research registry for recruitment into future studies.

Research staff will offer free BP screening to all adult black men entering each shop for approximately 4 weeks, or until recruitment targets have been met. Patrons with a systolic BP > 140 mm Hg on two separate occasions will be eligible to participate. The patrons' existing physician or the lead physician or a study physician will sign a collaborative practice agreement for a specialty-trained pharmacist to provide care and prescribe BP medications within the study protocol. All participants in this study will execute a visit with the study physician for an evaluation to establish care, supported by the funding for this proposal.

Barbers will participate in training related to skills on BP measurement and counseling performed by either collaborating researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles-Cedars Sinai or from local study personnel. Barbers will frequently check and transmit the BP readings of their enrolled patrons and motivate them to work with the clinical pharmacist, who will meet them in their barbershops to optimize BP medication. The pharmacist will promote patient activation, intensify drug therapy under a collaborative practice agreement as permitted by Tennessee state law, send progress notes to the participant's physicians, and ensure appropriate safety monitoring after each medication change.