Consortium for Southeastern Hypertension Control (COSEHC) AT GOAL Program
Submission Date: December 2014
Entry Type: Case Study
State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: Georgia
States/Territories Involved: Georgia
CDC Funding:Yes
Domain Addressed:Health Systems Strategies
Public Health Issue:Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Almost one third (32.4%; 2,337,182) or one in every three adult Georgians 18 years of age and older and 65.7% or two of every three adults 65 years and older have been told by a health professional that they have hypertension. Hypertension prevalence is slightly higher among females (32.9%) than males (31.9%); however, the difference is not significant. Black non-Hispanics have a significantly higher hypertension prevalence rate (37.3%) than white non-Hispanics (32.7%), Hispanics (15.3%) and āothersā ((25.6%) in Georgia.
Based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) findings, 52.5% of patients with hypertension did not have their hypertension controlled and 39.4% were not aware of their hypertension. Of those aware of their hypertension, 15.8% were not receiving pharmacological treatment.
Project Objectives:– To provide educational programming together with performance improvement processes (PDCA process) to community primary care practices at no cost to the practice to improve the clinical performance in managing cardiometabolic risk factors.
– To increase compliance of primary care providers for the assessment and treatment of hypertension and diabetes among their patients in accordance to the JNC and ATP guidelines.
Program Action:This project is designed to have vendors 1) identify 5 free standing community based primary care centers; 2) offer professional trainings on the currently published clinical guidelines to local physicians and other health care providers in identified areas of the State of Georgia to enhance provider performance to achieve evidence based cardiovascular treatment goals and improve patient outcomes and; 3) to maintain the same with 6 existing practices currently being serviced by the vendor. The vendor is responsible for the following:
1. Identify a total of 5 new freestanding community based primary care medical practices.
2. Maintain support for 6 currently serviced primary care medical practice sites.
3. Incorporate the promotion of the National Million Hearts initiative by practice sites.
4. Conduct quarterly site visits to participating centers.
5. Submit to the Department of Community Health, Division of Public Health an excel spreadsheet of collected baseline assessment data.
6. Develop and submit a training implementation plan.
7. Develop and submit an evaluation plan.
8. Provide physician experts to conduct education programs with CME credits.
9. Provide ongoing quality improvement feedback to primary care practices.
10. Submit final invoice, executive summary and final evaluation report.
11. Define practice-specific practice gaps and educational needs by performing baseline assessment of cardiovascular clinical data.
Data/Other Information Collected:Number of participating sites, Blood pressure, Cholesterol, A1c’s
Impact/Accomplishments:Program being evaluated
NOTE: Over three years, COSEHC provided AT GOAL (a PI-CME program) to over 62 primary care practices in other parts of the Southeast resulting in demonstrated improvements of control rates and clinical parameters in patients diagnosed with cardiovascular metabolic risk factors. Both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Family Medicine have approved AT GOAL for credit towards the Part IV Maintenance of Certification.
Challenges/Lessons Learned:The recruitment of Primary Care Practices
Next Steps:Continue with program implementation
Program Areas:Heart Disease and Stroke
State Contact Information:
GA
Keith W. Mitchell
Georgia Department of Health
706-507-1865
Keith.Mitchell@dph.ga.gov