Vascular Age as a Key for a Team-based Approach to Manage Blood Pressure bridging Community Pharmacists and Primary Health Care Physicians – the TOGETHER trial
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Description
TOGETHER project, a cluster randomized trial, conducted by a European research team in Spain, Portugal and Austria and led in Switzerland by Valérie Santschi, Professor at la Source, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, aims to evaluate whether empowering hypertensive patients by determining blood pressure and vascular aging in community pharmacies increases hypertension management and collaboration between healthcare professionals.
TOGETEHER is funded by the European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) initiative, a Cofund action under the Horizon Europe Programme, and by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for the Swiss part.
Context
Hypertension management remains a major public health challenge in primary care. Innovative interventions including health education, structured communication between healthcare providers as well team-based care models to improve blood pressure are needed. is lacking.
Objectives
TOGETHER aims to evaluate whether empowering patients with hypertension by measuring blood pressure and vascular aging in community pharmacies improves hypertension control, while establishing sustainable collaboration between general practitioners and community pharmacists. TOGETHER has three main objectives:
- Improving the collaboration between physicians and pharmacists
- Improving the management of hypertension by introducing the concept of vascular age, assessed as estimated pulse wave velocity in pharmacies
- Comparing different health care systems
Expected benefits
TOGETHER initiative will provide innovative pathways and solutions in the setting of a randomized-controlled trial by reducing the burden of high blood pressure through better integrated primary care, closely collaborating with non-physician healthcare professionals.
Site Lead Investigators
Spain
- Prof. Enrique Rodilla Sala, FISABIO, Valencia
- Prof. Luis García Ortiz, IBSAL
- Prof. Maria S. Fernández Alfonso, IdISSC, Madrid
Austria
- Dr. Christopher Mayer, AIT, Vienna
- Dr. Florian Ardelt, OBGAM, Linz
- Monika Aichberger, AP, Linz
Portugal
- Prof. Telmo Pereira, IPC, Coimbra
Switzerland
- Prof. Valérie Santschi, La Source, HES-SO, Lausanne
La Source
- Prof. Dre. Valérie Santschi, Co-investigator and PI for the Swiss part
- Dre. Viktoria Gastens, Scientific collaborator
Research Scope
Community pharmacists and general practitioners in Spain, Austria and Portugal.
Duration
2024-2027
Contact
Valérie Santschi
Full Professor and Head of the LAB-Teaching and Research Healthcare Systems, Ethics, Interprofessional Practice (SEI LAB) at la Source, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland
Mail: v.santschi@ecolelasource.ch
