WIP 146 - Resident Knowledge and Perspectives on Blood Pressure Classification, Monitoring, and Management at a Pediatric Primary Care Clinic in an Academic Medical Center in New York

Poster Number: WIP 146
Publication Number: WIP 146.2615

Background: According to the US Preventive Services Task Force, 3 to 4 percent of the children and adolescents in the United States have hypertension. That is around 3 million of the patient’s population. It is up to us, as general pediatricians, to be able to detect those cases and initiate work up and referral in a timely manner.

Objective: Our goal is to increase BP screening awareness at a pediatric primary care clinic in an academic medical center in New York, and to increase the rates of early detection, workup, and intervention or referral to pediatric nephrology services. This should ultimately lead to a decrease in poor outcomes like chronic kidney disease and end organ damage in our patient population.

Design/Methods: This is an ongoing QI project, currently under IRB review for exemption. Our investigation employs a pre- and post-intervention study design. The pre-intervention survey, distributed via electronic and in-person means, was conducted from July to August 2023 to gather baseline data on residents’ knowledge and confidence on BP classification, monitoring, and management; as well as perceived barriers to interpretation of BP measures. Preliminary survey results informed the intervention design currently being implemented. Specifically, informational posters were placed in each exam room for ease-of-access, which included a BP classification table and guidance on monitoring or referral. The posters also have QR codes linking to an online BP percentile calculator and information on BP screening and initial work-up. The intervention period runs from September to early November 2023. A post-intervention survey will then be distributed to residents to measure change in resident knowledge and perceptions post-intervention. Microsoft Excel is being used for descriptive statistics analysis of survey data. The process measure is the residents’ perceived time needed for BP classification and elevated BP recognition. The outcome measure is residents’ knowledge and confidence on BP classification, monitoring, and management. The expected completion date is December 2023.