Patient-centered care
When hypertension care is patient-centered and easy to stick to, more people stay on track
Challenge
Controlling high blood pressure should be simple, but too often patients aren’t set up for success—especially those who need the most support.
Solution
Simple changes to care deliver put patients and their needs at the center so they can keep their high blood pressure controlled.
Impact
Removing barriers to accessing care and staying on treatment makes it easier for patients to control their blood pressure and live longer, healthier lives.
How patient-centered care saves lives
In many low-and middle-income countries, people living with high blood pressure continue to face significant barriers to getting their blood pressure under control.
Patients are often forced to travel long distances to specialized hospitals for care or are prescribed medications that are hard to find, in small amounts, or too expensive, meaning choosing between their life-saving medication and putting food on the table. As a result they’re more likely to miss medical visits, stop taking their medications, and remain at risk for heart attack, stroke, and premature death.
Patient-centered care through a few simple shifts in care delivery is a low-cost, high-impact way to help keep high blood pressure under control and reduce poor health outcomes.
Patient-centered care highlights
New study encourages health care closer to home
In India, decentralized hypertension care led to better blood pressure control and patient outcomes
Integrating hypertension treatment with HIV care in Uganda
Using a Differentiated Service Delivery approach to integrate hypertension and HIV care in the communities where people live
Doorstep medicine delivery for high-risk patients in India during COVID-19 lockdowns
Bringing medication to patients helped keep them on track during the pandemic
Patient-friendly blood pressure management
Following simple, standard treatment protocols and practicing team-based care can make it possible for programs to include patient-friendly care options such as:
- Routine care closer to home
- Easy treatment plans
- Access to free or low-cost medications
- Less frequent follow-up visits for patients who are doing well on treatment
- Longer prescriptions—meaning fewer trips to the pharmacy
Integrating blood pressure management with routine health services
Some people live with multiple chronic conditions and attend multiple appointments for each condition. Integrating routine services means patients don’t have to visit the clinic as frequently, and health facilities are less crowded and more effective. High blood pressure is often without symptoms, so measuring blood pressure as part of every routine health visit helps catch it before it gets dangerous.
How we support patient-centered care
We provide funding and technical assistance to improve hypertension care—from streamlining prescriptions to strengthening the purchasing and distribution of medicines to training health care workers in the team-based care approach. These efforts empower primary care facilities to provide quality care closer to home, and keep medicine stocked and affordable.
