Adaptation and Initial Feasibility of a Primary Care-based Dyadic Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Intervention: “Heart Care Pairs”
Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
High blood pressure affects nearly half of people in Alabama, and those most affected are Black Alabamians and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Most people find out they have high blood pressure while visiting their primary care doctor and that provider often helps patients with managing their blood pressure. Controlling high blood pressure can involve multiple changes such as eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, reducing salt in one’s diet, increasing physical activity, getting better sleep, reducing stress, and taking medications as prescribed.
Primary care doctors often do not have the time during their visits with patients to talk about all of these different topics. Other healthcare providers in primary care can help patients with making these changes, these might include providers who have special training in psychology and behavioral health. It may also be helpful for patients to include a support person in their care for high blood pressure. This person could be a spouse, a family member, or a close friend. Research that involves behavior counseling with a supportive person shows positive changes in health and emotional well-being. In this study, researchers will use this existing research on health care involving a supportive partner to develop a counseling intervention that can be used by behavioral health specialists working alongside primary care providers. We will collect data from patients in primary care who have high blood pressure and will invite them to participate in the study with a supportive partner of their choosing. Measures will be collected on each person on their heart health and health habits. We will also have interviews with the pair and each person individually to better understand their needs from primary care to help them manage their blood pressure, or to help them support their partner with their blood pressure. The data collected from this project will result in a behavioral health intervention that we will then use for a small number of patients and their care partners to see how it works and if patients like it so it could be used in more primary care practices in Alabama and the US South.
