Clinical Decision Support System, Antihypertensive Treatment Intensification, and Blood Pressure Control

Is the implementation of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) associated with increased antihypertensive treatment intensification and improved blood pressure control in primary care practices?In this post hoc secondary analysis of a cluster randomized clinical trial comprising 4612 patients, CDSS implementation was associated with higher antihypertensive treatment intensification rates but not with improved blood pressure control compared with usual care. Greater treatment intensity was associated with larger reductions in systolic blood pressure.These findings suggest that while CDSS may be associated with increased antihypertensive treatment intensification, additional implementation strategies may be needed to improve blood pressure control.

Corresponding Author: Xin Zheng, MD, PhD, National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Shilongxi Road, Mentougou District, Beijing 102308, China (zhengxin@fuwai.com).

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