A quality improvement (QI) initiative conducted by the India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) between January 2021 and September 2022 led to an increase in monthly follow-up visits from 21% to 37% and a decrease in missed health visits from 66% to 22%. Of the individuals counseled by ASHA home visits, 74.9% returned for follow-up. The QI initiative organized a multidisciplinary team to identify major root causes for missed visits—such as not effectively mobilizing patients for follow-up visits— and develop countermeasures—such as improved tracking as use of ASHA home visits. Health care workers were trained in the interventions, and a simple, digital health tool captured real-time data to follow progress of interventions in monthly data review meetings once they were implemented.
ABSTRACT
Background In India, to achieve a 25% relative reduction in the prevalence of raised blood pressure (BP) by 2025, approximately 4.5 crore additional people with hypertension will need to have their BP effectively treated. We conducted a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative to improve follow- up and reduce missed visits among individuals with hypertension registered under India Hypertension Control Initiative, District Hospital, Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, in 2022.
