Background and review of literature: Hypertension (HTN) is a major public health problem that impacts the lives of more than 70 million adults in the United States (US). The prevalence of HTN in the urban US Black population is approximately 45% higher than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW; 32%) and Hispanic people (30%). More than 65% of adults over the age of 65 have HTN which has a significant impact on the health and quality of life (QOL) of urban adults. Uncontrolled HTN contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and early mortality if not controlled. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to increase the knowledge and skills of a free clinic volunteer staff regarding evidence-based (EB) HTN guidelines to improve assessment skills. Improved skills would lead to improved QOL through HTN control among patients seen in a low socioeconomic status (SES) urban community. Methods/Implementation: A pre- and post-test design was used before and after a virtual synchronous online education presentation. EB handouts were provided. Post-test scores were analyzed for measures of improvement. Implications/Sustainability: Implications included a new EB policy for gathering data from patients with HTN and teaching them the appropriate methods to take their blood pressure (BP) at home and log the findings. All future clinic volunteer staff will be trained in accurate knowledge regarding the full scope of HTN. Outcome/Conclusion: Volunteer staff showed improvement in post-test knowledge following the intervention. Analysis is ongoing to determine whether patients have improved control over their HTN and have increased adherence to lifestyle and medication management.
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