Telehealth-Enhanced Assessment and Management

TEAMS-BP is a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded trial under the Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research (PLACER) funding mechanism to evaluate two comprehensive and evidence-based strategies for managing blood pressure (BP) following stroke.

Hypertension affects nearly half of the US population (46% of adults) and is the strongest risk factor for recurrent stroke. Prevalence in patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke in the US varies by region (highest in the South) ranging from 70% to 82%, and is associated with greater risk of recurrent stroke, major cardiovascular events, and death. A vital question for stroke patients and caregivers is how to prevent a recurrent stroke and further adverse events. Multiple clinical trials have shown that lowering BP reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Few trials, however, included stroke patients with a focus on secondary prevention nor were representative of vulnerable populations. The former US Surgeon General recently published a Call to Action focused on BP with three goals: 1) make hypertension control a national priority; 2) ensure that communities support hypertension control; and 3) optimize patient care for hypertension control.