Trial Outcomes & Findings for Working With Veterans Organizations to Improve Blood Pressure (NCT NCT00571038)

NCT ID: NCT00571038

Last Updated: 2015-04-24

Results Overview

Mean/Standard Error (SE) change in systolic blood pressure

• Recruitment status: COMPLETED
• Study phase: NA
• Target enrollment: 404 participants
• Primary outcome timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months
• Results posted on: 2015-04-24

Participant Flow

We wrote letters to posts located within 60 miles of the study hospital and followed up with a phone call to arrange for an in-person presentation. Before and after the presentation, we measured blood pressures and asked about diagnoses of hypertension. We scheduled individual appointments with potential subjects to confirm eligibility and consent.

Posts had to identify two potential peer leaders to be eligible for the trial. The post membership voted on whether to participate, even though many would not be followed as study members. All enrollment activities occurred before posts were assigned to an intervention. All participants within a post received the assigned intervention.

Participant milestones

Measure	Peer Led Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Overall Study STARTED	219	185
Overall Study 6 Month Follow up	208	176
Overall Study 18 Month Survey Only	199	163
Overall Study COMPLETED	208	171
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	11	14

Reasons for withdrawal

Measure	Peer Led Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Overall Study Lost to Follow-up	1	4
Overall Study Death	7	5
Overall Study Withdrawal by Subject	1	3
Overall Study Moved out of state	2	2

Baseline Characteristics

Working With Veterans Organizations to Improve Blood Pressure

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Measure	Peer Led n=219 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=185 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.	Total n=404 Participants Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous	68.8 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.97 • n=5 Participants	67.4 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.3 • n=7 Participants	68.2 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.1 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Female	34 Participants n=5 Participants	17 Participants n=7 Participants	51 Participants n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	185 Participants n=5 Participants	168 Participants n=7 Participants	353 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native	2 Participants n=5 Participants	1 Participants n=7 Participants	3 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Asian	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American	3 Participants n=5 Participants	8 Participants n=7 Participants	11 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) White	214 Participants n=5 Participants	175 Participants n=7 Participants	389 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race	0 Participants n=5 Participants	1 Participants n=7 Participants	1 Participants n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported	0 Participants n=5 Participants	0 Participants n=7 Participants	0 Participants n=5 Participants
Region of Enrollment United States	219 participants n=5 Participants	185 participants n=7 Participants	404 participants n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/Standard Error (SE) change in systolic blood pressure

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=208 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=171 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Systolic Blood Pressure	-3.48 mm Hg Standard Error 1.13	-5.45 mm Hg Standard Error 1.24

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in diastolic blood pressure

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=208 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=171 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Diastolic Blood Pressure	-1.83 mm Hg Standard Error 0.76	-2.03 mm Hg Standard Error 0.83

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in weight, measured in pounds (lbs)

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=208 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=171 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Weight	-0.85 pounds Standard Error 0.71	1.29 pounds Standard Error 0.78

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2)

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=208 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=171 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in BMI	-0.12 kg/m2 Standard Error 0.10	0.17 kg/m2 Standard Error 0.12

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Response to the question "How would you rate your general health status?". Response options are scored as follows.

1. Excellent

2. Very Good

3. Good

4. Fair

5. Poor We report the change in health status from baseline to 12 months.

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Health Status	-0.14 units on a scale (range 1-5) Standard Error 0.052	0.018 units on a scale (range 1-5) Standard Error 0.054

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Change in mean # of months since last visit to a physician

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Time Since Last Physician Visit	-2.58 months (since last visit) Standard Error 0.409	-1.65 months (since last visit) Standard Error 1.049

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

% reporting non-clinic blood pressure (BP) checks at least once a month

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Non-Clinic Blood Pressure Checks	91.26 percentage of participants	82.74 percentage of participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Change in mean # of prescription blood pressure medications

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Number of Blood Pressure Medications	0.011 blood pressure medications Standard Error 0.054	0.028 blood pressure medications Standard Error 0.057

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Hypertension Evaluation of Lifestyle and Management (HELM) Construct: Knowledge of hypertension and lifestyle factors related to hypertension Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 14 Interpretation of Score: Higher is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Hypertension Knowledge	0.529 survey score Standard Error 0.127	0.256 survey score Standard Error 0.159

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Not applicable; series of agree/disagree statements that we wrote Construct: Attitudes around blood pressure diagnosis, treatment (including lifestyle changes), and seriousness of the condition Minimum Score: 12 Maximum Score: 60 Interpretation of Score: Lower is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Hypertension Attitudes	-0.24 survey score Standard Error 0.292	-0.19 survey score Standard Error 0.307

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Modified Holmes-Ravnor Satisfaction with Decision (SWD) Construct: Satisfaction with current blood pressure treatment Minimum Score: 1 Maximum Score: 5 Interpretation of Score: Lower is better (NOTE: Original instrument's scoring is reversed; i.e., higher is better)

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Satisfaction With Blood Pressure Treatment	-0.15 survey score Standard Error 0.052	-0.15 survey score Standard Error 0.058

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Construct: Alcohol use and abuse Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 12 Interpretation of Score: Lower is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Alcohol Use	-0.15 survey score Standard Error 0.097	-0.19 survey score Standard Error 0.128

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Hopkins Dietary Questionnaire (only the dietary salt avoidance questions) Construct: Dietary sodium intake Minimum Score: 2 Maximum Score: 12 Interpretation of Score: Higher is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Sodium Intake	-0.08 survey score Standard Error 0.159	-0.11 survey score Standard Error 0.166

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) Construct: Total metabolic equivalents (a measure of energy expenditure) in the last 7 days Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: Not applicable; based on physical activity done Interpretation of Score: Higher is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Physical Activity Level	260.2 METS Standard Error 321.9	-89.5 METS Standard Error 409.3

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in # of steps per day (self report)

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Daily Steps	2395 steps per day Standard Error 875.5	963.5 steps per day Standard Error 735.9

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in # of servings per day; questions taken from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Questionnaire

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake	0.096 servings of fruits & vegetables per day Standard Error 0.109	-0.01 servings of fruits & vegetables per day Standard Error 0.093

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Morisky Adherence; questions modified to ask specifically about blood pressure medication Construct: Adherence to prescribed medication-taking regimen Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 4 Interpretation of Score: Lower is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Medication Adherence	-0.02 survey score Standard Error 0.043	0.007 survey score Standard Error 0.055

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Schwarzer General Perceived Self-Efficacy Construct: Perceived self-efficacy Minimum Score: 10 Maximum Score: 40 Interpretation of Score: Higher is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Self Efficacy	0.450 survey score Standard Error 0.246	0.286 survey score Standard Error 0.275

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in overall score on:

Scale: Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey Construct: Overall measure of social support, including tangible, affectionate, positive social interaction, and emotional/informational Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 100 Interpretation of Score: Higher is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Social Support	1.249 survey score Standard Error 1.088	2.227 survey score Standard Error 1.171

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in overall score on:

Scale: Krantz Health Opinion Survey Construct: Opinions about healthcare and healthcare providers Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 16 Interpretation of Score: Higher is better

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Health Opinions	0.252 survey score Standard Error 0.167	0.232 survey score Standard Error 0.188

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 9/16/2008-8/9/2010; baseline and 12 months

Population: Consented, hypertensive members of participating veterans service organizations in SE Wisconsin.

Mean/SE change in score on:

Scale: Hibbard Patient Activation Measure (PAM) Construct: Level of patient activation and engagement in health care Minimum Score: 0 Maximum Score: 100 Interpretation of Score: Lower is better (NOTE: Original instrument's scoring is reversed; i.e., higher is better)

Outcome measures

Measure	Peer Led n=206 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=168 Participants Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
Change in Patient Activation	1.007 survey score Standard Error 0.903	1.254 survey score Standard Error 0.910

Adverse Events

Peer Led

Serious events: 17 serious events

Other events: 0 other events

Deaths: 0 deaths

Seminar

Serious events: 8 serious events

Other events: 0 other events

Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Measure	Peer Led n=219 participants at risk Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Two post members trained as peer leaders who encourage post members to take positive steps to improve BP. Peer leader training involves 20 hours of training over 12 months, telephone/email access to clinical experts and educational materials to share with post members.	Seminar n=185 participants at risk Post provided with blood pressure cuffs, pedometers and scale. Post members, including study participants invited to didactic sessions on cardiovascular health. Two or more post representatives (who were also post members) coordinated use of equipment and encouraged members to attend the didactic sessions.
General disorders Death	4.1% 9/219 • Number of events 9 • 2 years (2009-2011)	2.7% 5/185 • Number of events 5 • 2 years (2009-2011)
General disorders Hospitalization	0.46% 1/219 • Number of events 1 • 2 years (2009-2011)	0.00% 0/185 • 2 years (2009-2011)
Surgical and medical procedures Surgery	1.4% 3/219 • Number of events 3 • 2 years (2009-2011)	0.54% 1/185 • Number of events 1 • 2 years (2009-2011)
Vascular disorders Stroke	0.46% 1/219 • Number of events 1 • 2 years (2009-2011)	1.1% 2/185 • Number of events 2 • 2 years (2009-2011)
Eye disorders Blindness	0.46% 1/219 • Number of events 1 • 2 years (2009-2011)	0.00% 0/185 • 2 years (2009-2011)
General disorders Cancer	0.46% 1/219 • Number of events 1 • 2 years (2009-2011)	0.00% 0/185 • 2 years (2009-2011)
General disorders ER Visit	0.46% 1/219 • Number of events 1 • 2 years (2009-2011)	0.00% 0/185 • 2 years (2009-2011)

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Jeff Whittle, MD, MPH

Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center

Phone: 414-384-2000

Email: jeffrey.whittle@va.gov

Results disclosure agreements

• Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
• Publication restrictions are in place