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Abstract
Background In the United States according to Centers for Disease Control (2019), nearly half of adults, 108 million (45%) have hypertension defined as having a systolic blood pressure greater than 130 or diastolic blood pressure greater than 80. The influence of non-adherence to antihypertensive medications is the most important cause of uncontrolled blood pressure (Abegaz et al., 2016). Medication adherence screening tools are reliable, valid instruments to identify patients at risk for non-adherence; however, many providers are unaware of these readily available screening tools to assess for adherence. Purpose To determine the impact of the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy scale (HB-HBP) educational intervention on healthcare professionals’ knowledge and utilization of the HB-HBP scale in adults with hypertension in primary care. Methods Healthcare professionals (N=12) completed the pre-Medication Adherence Screening Awareness (MASTA) questionnaire prior to participating in an educational session. 200 patients with a diagnosis were screened during the implementation phase. Providers utilized pocket card to interpret scores and to guide treatment interventions. A post-MASTA test and focus group discussion was completed three months post intervention. Results A paired sample t-test showed a statistical difference in healthcare professionals’ knowledge of the HB-HBP scale and ability to utilize and interpret the scale following the learning session improved. Conclusion The HB-HBP screening tool allows providers to identify barriers to adherence, serves as resource for interventions to reduce barriers and risk factors thus should be implemented into clinical practice to improve patient outcomes.