Opportunities for impact

A broad outline of existing and potential solutions for early stage management and prevention of hypertension at scale.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders in the Hypertension Ecosystem

Existing solutions

Conversations with experts and internet research revealed current solutions to manage or prevent hypertension in these categories:

  • Medication
  • Home and biometric monitoring technology
  • Community coaching
  • Charities
  • Incentives to reduce sugar and salt consumption

Gaps and Levers of change

Considering the systems analysis, there are still opportunities for greater impact in the hypertension ecosystem, especially in these areas:

  • Awareness - population awareness of high blood pressure is actually falling despite efforts of NGOs and increased availability of diagnostic devices. Partnership approaches and new marketing and digitalisation strategies can help with this
  • Intervention - better support primary care providers in helping with lifestyle based intervention and patient-centric behaviour change
  • Power dynamics - take inspiration from systems change happening around environmental sustainability to consider how to impact the underlying profit interests that maintain the status quo in hypertension, especially medication as default treatment, sugar and salt levels in food and drink products and services, and employee burnout.
Opportunities by Stakeholder Map

‍

Curious to know more? Contact monicatodd@alumni.ie.edu to view and discuss the full report. Keep reading about the positive change I am exploring.👇

‍

Blood Pressure Survey

Inspired to learn more and make a contribution, I conducted a simple random survey on blood pressure among 35-55 year olds in my social network, returning 100 responses over 48 hours. Respondents were mostly (but not exclusively) male and from US, UK and DE.

1 in 5 mid-aged survey participants were diagnosed hypertensives. This is inline with World Health Organisation figures that show 1 in 5 people (approximately 1.3 billion) globally have high blood pressure.

Survey insights:

  • Address Anxiety - 30% of hypertensive and 8% of non-diagnosed felt anxious about the condition
  • Social context (e.g. Family members) is an important source of support, as well as Doctors, for hypertensives managing their condition
  • There is a desire for natural ways to manage and help making lifestyle changes - even among those currently feeling in control of their HBP
  • Interest in a digital/virtual coach to aid behaviour change - 53% of hypertensives and 23% of non-diagnosed
  • Most valued aspects of digital/virtual coach are convenient daily BP recording (e.g. through smartphone), personalised content/ reminders and tracking progress of lifestyle changes on BP

‍

Pilot study

These insights alongside research interviews informed a small pilot study for virtual blood pressure coaching in Q2 2021.  It took the form of tailored multi-week behaviour change challenges powered by certified coaching techniques over whatsapp. Feedback was positive: “It was great because of the effect.”  “I felt supported by the reminders.” “Because of the group I knew there is someone there for me.”

‍Next step is to build on the learnings and run a larger scale v2 pilot to quantify participant outcomes.