Mobilizing Community Hypertension Access Pilot

Purpose

The Live Healthy Chicago (LHC) Community Pilot is a prospective, community-based study evaluating the feasibility, effectiveness, and economic impact of a pharmacist-led hypertension management program delivered in trusted community settings on the West and South Sides of Chicago. Adults with uncontrolled hypertension will be identified and enrolled through community-based organizations, where a mobile clinical team-including community health workers, a pharmacist, and a registered nurse-will provide blood pressure screening, medication management, health education, and care coordination over a 3-month period. The study will assess participant engagement and acceptability, changes in systolic blood pressure. This pilot aims to address disparities in hypertension control by improving access to care in underserved communities and informing scalable, community-based models of chronic disease management.

Condition

  • Hypertension

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Adults 18 years or older - Record of two blood pressure readings of SBP>130 on two separate occasions (days) within the past 3 months

Exclusion Criteria

  • Person is receiving dialysis - Person has had a heart or kidney transplant - Person is pregnant

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Live Healthy Chicago Intervention
Participants receive a 12-week community-based hypertension management intervention delivered by a mobile clinical team including community health workers, registered nurses, and pharmacists. The intervention includes blood pressure monitoring, medication management under a collaborative practice agreement with a physician, health education, social needs screening, and care coordination.
  • Behavioral: Community-Based Multidisciplinary Hypertension Management Program
    A 12-week community-based hypertension management intervention delivered in community settings. The program includes pharmacist-led medication management under collaborative practice agreement, RN-led clinical monitoring and follow-up, and CHW-led outreach, education, and care navigation. Participants receive blood pressure screening, medication titration when indicated, home blood pressure monitoring support, and linkage to primary care and social services.

Recruiting Locations

Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois 60612
Contact:
Elizabeth Lynch, PhD
312-563-2254
Elizabeth_Lynch@rush.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Rush University Medical Center

Study Contact

Elizabeth Lynch, PhD
312-563-2254
Elizabeth_Lynch@rush.edu

Detailed Description

Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease and preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, with disproportionate burden among underserved populations. In Chicago, structural inequities, limited access to primary care, and mistrust in healthcare systems contribute to significant disparities in hypertension control, particularly among Black residents on the West and South Sides. Community-based care delivery models have demonstrated success in improving blood pressure outcomes by engaging individuals in trusted, non-traditional healthcare settings. The Live Healthy Chicago (LHC) Community Pilot is a prospective, community-based pilot study designed to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and economic impact of a pharmacist-led hypertension management intervention embedded within community-based organizations. The study will enroll approximately 200 adults with uncontrolled hypertension identified through community health worker (CHW)-led screening and outreach efforts at participating sites, including churches and organizations providing social services. Participants will receive a 3-month intervention delivered by a mobile clinical team consisting of CHWs, a pharmacist, and a registered nurse (RN). CHWs will conduct outreach, facilitate recruitment, provide health education, and support care navigation. RNs will collect baseline clinical data, provide counseling, support medication adherence, and conduct follow-up assessments. Pharmacists will perform medication reconciliation and manage antihypertensive therapy, including initiation and titration of medications under a collaborative practice agreement with supervising physicians. Participants will be followed for 12 weeks, with regular in-person or telehealth visits to monitor blood pressure, assess medication adherence, and address social determinants of health. Home blood pressure monitoring will be encouraged, and participants may be provided with blood pressure cuffs when available. Data collection will occur at baseline and at 3-month follow-up and will include blood pressure measurements, medication adherence (via validated questionnaires), medical history, social determinants of health, and participant-reported outcomes such as satisfaction and intervention acceptability. The primary effectiveness outcome is change in systolic blood pressure over the 3-month intervention period, including the proportion of participants achieving a clinically meaningful reduction (≥10 mmHg). Feasibility and acceptability outcomes include recruitment, retention, and participant satisfaction. Economic analyses will estimate the cost per participant and model potential cost savings associated with reduced healthcare utilization, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations. This pilot study aims to generate preliminary evidence to support scalable, community-based hypertension care models that improve access, reduce disparities, and enhance chronic disease management in underserved urban populations.