Page Menu

CONSULT-BP Project Summary

Summary:

COmmuNity-engaged SimULation Training for Blood Pressure Control (CONSULT-BP) is a theory-based, multi-component, training intervention that aims to improve patient health outcomes by training medical residents and graduate student nurses on patient-centered communication, healthcare disparities, and implicit bias. CONSULT BP aims to empower healthcare providers to create partnerships with their patients, and help providers learn how to address challenges in interpersonal communication that arise from biases related to cultural, racial, ethnic, and/or income disparities. CONSULT BP has chosen to focus on hypertension control because it is a chronic condition in which health care disparities are prevalent and where there is evidence that positive doctor-patient relationships can contribute to better patient health outcomes.

**Figure 1. Hypothesized relationship in the CONSULT-BP intervention: Implicit Race Bias, Patient-Clinician Communication, Adherence and Clinical Outcomes**[1]^,[2]

Program Structure (See Figure 1)

The program’s main components aim to: 1) increase Knowledge of Disparities and Evidence-based Practice for HTN management and Skills to Mitigate Bias, 2) increase Awareness of Bias within learner, and 3) provide an opportunity to Practice Skills in Simulated Encounters.

[1] Cooper, L. A. et al. The associations of clinicians’ implicit attitudes about race with medical visit communication and patient ratings of interpersonal care. Am. J. Public Health 102, 979–987 (2012).

[2] Blair, I. V, Steiner, J. F. & Havranek, E. P. Unconscious (implicit) bias and health disparities: where do we go from here? Perm. J. 15, 71–8 (2011).