Hypertension
Conditions
Keywords
Hypertension, Acute hospital staff, Exercise, Diet
Brief summary
The primary purpose of this study is to identify the percentage of health care workers working in an acute care hospital who have high blood pressure, to determine the awareness of their blood pressure status, and to see how well it is managed. Study participants will come from the following three distinctly different types of departments: telemetry (clinical), non-telemetry (clinical), and non-direct patient care staff. All study participants are offered educational information surrounding high blood pressure and review the recommendation for their primary care engagement. Study participants with high blood pressure will be asked to continue in the study for up to 6 months. It is intended that each study participant who continues will take their blood pressure three times a day and record the results in a study provided diary. Each study participant should also make some of the suggested changes that promote a healthier lifestyle including exercising, improving their diet, and seeing their primary care provider. It is the thought that these changes will reduce the study participant's blood pressure. The secondary purpose is to determine the effect shift work has on these hospital employees and the potential positive effects of the three interventions.
Detailed description
Research on hypertension (HTN) in hospital personnel during work hours is limited yet research has been published on the relationship of job strain and the risk of cardiovascular disease. HTN can be caused by sympathoadrenal activation brought on by long-term exposure to stressors and an inherent biomarker that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The primary purpose of this study is to quantify differences in HTN prevalence, awareness and management in three distinctly different areas and shifts within an acute hospital. Blood pressure (BP) will be taken during working hours along with pre and post sleep hours. The secondary purpose is to identify the effect of shift work within an acute care hospital and effectiveness of: BP monitoring, increases in physical activity, positive nutritional changes, and the correlation between a primary care provider visits and lowering BP.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPhysical activity
This intervention includes cardiorespiratory exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise and neuromotor exercise.
BEHAVIORALDietary
Make at least one positive dietary change including or similar to a DASH diet snack substitution.
OTHERPrimary care provider visit
Subjects with hypertension will be asked to visit their primary care provider seeking treatment options. If a subject does not have a primary care provider then they will be encouraged to obtain one and seek medical treatment.
Sponsors
Providence Health & Services
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Providence Health System's Southwest Washington Service Area (SWSA) employees * Subjects who will be included in the intervention part of the study will have two consecutive BP readings of \> 140/90 * Has or is willing to have collaborative PCP * Understand and sign the informed consent form
Exclusion criteria
* Under the age of 18 * Has a severe systemic illness with life expectancy judged less than three years * Has a severe vascular event such as Myocardial Infarction or Cerebral Vascular Event in the past 90 days * Is enrolled in another therapeutic program or similar study, and * Has a condition which, in the opinion of the investigators, may prevent the subject from participating in the study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reduction of blood pressure | 6 months | The study will look for a reduction in blood pressure during a 6-month time frame among those identified at screening to have high blood pressure and who continue on in the study. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed