Staff Education Project to Improve Hypertension Medication Adherence in an Underserved Clinic

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic conditions managed in primary care. The identified practice problem for this staff education project was the lack of structured staff training and inconsistent provider knowledge regarding evidence-based strategies to improve medication adherence among patients with hypertension. Poor medication contributes to preventable complications such as stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. The purpose was to evaluate if an educational intervention could improve provider knowledge related to medication adherence strategies in an underserved clinical setting. The practice question guiding the project was: In clinical staff working in an underserved clinic, does a staff education session on strategies to improve medication adherence in hypertensive patients lead to an increase in provider knowledge compared to baseline knowledge? The intervention was a 30-minute, face-to-face staff education session. Descriptive analysis from Microsoft Excel demonstrated an improvement in provider knowledge following the intervention. The average pre-test score was 40%, indicating moderate baseline knowledge of medication adherence strategies. Post-test scores increased to an average of 97.5%, reflecting a 57.5% improvement. One implication suggests educational interventions improved provider knowledge. Major products of the project included evidence-based educational materials and evaluation tools. Conclusion from the project reinforced the DNP role in translating evidence into practice and promoting health equity. Recommendations include follow-up educational sessions and adding the session to onboarding. By improving provider knowledge, social change and diversity will improve long-term outcomes for patients with hypertension.