NIH says low-cost team-based care lowered blood pressure in high-risk patients

NIH said an NIH-supported trial has found that a low-cost, team-based care model can improve blood pressure control in high-risk patients treated at community clinics.

The study was conducted at 36 federally qualified health centers in Louisiana and Mississippi and enrolled more than 1,270 adults age 40 or older with uncontrolled hypertension. It was published April 8, 2026, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

According to the NIH, the intervention combined blood-pressure tracking, provider feedback, health coaching, support for medication adherence and home monitoring. Patients in the intervention group saw systolic blood pressure fall by more than 15 mm Hg, compared with about 9 mm Hg in the enhanced usual-care group.

The agency said the model averaged about $760 per patient, a figure that could matter for clinics serving low-income communities. Tulane University and STAT also reported the same study and core findings on April 8.

The results add to evidence that organized, team-based hypertension care can be scaled in underserved settings without relying on expensive new drugs or equipment. The researchers said the approach was tested in federally qualified health centers, a setting where many patients face barriers to consistent follow-up and medication management.