Outcomes of a hypertension care program based on task-sharing with private pharmacies: a retrospective study from two blocks in rural India
By Hemanshu Das, Ashish Sachdeva, Harish Kumar, Ashish Krishna, Andrew Moran, Anupam Pathni, Bhawna Sharma, Bhanu Singh, Manish Ranjan, Sarang Deo
Journal of Human Hypertension | May 2023
DOI
www.nature.com/articles/s41371-023-00837-7
Citation
Das, Hemanshu., Sachdeva, Ashish., Kumar, Harish., Krishna, Ashish., Moran, Andrew., Pathni, Anupam., Sharma, Bhawna., Singh, Bhanu., Ranjan, Manish., Deo, Sarang. Outcomes of a hypertension care program based on task-sharing with private pharmacies: a retrospective study from two blocks in rural India Journal of Human Hypertension www.nature.com/articles/s41371-023-00837-7.
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Journal of Human Hypertension, 2023
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Abstract
Low density of formal care providers in rural India results in restricted and delayed access to standardized management of hypertension. Task-sharing with pharmacies, typically the first point of contact for rural populations, can bridge the gap in access to formal care and improve health outcomes. In this study, we implemented a hypertension care program involving task-sharing with twenty private pharmacies between November 2020 and April 2021 in two blocks of Bihar, India. Pharmacists conducted free hypertension screening, and a trained physician offered free consultations at the pharmacy. We calculated the number of subjects screened, initiated on treatment (enrolled) and the change in blood pressure using the data collected through the program application. Of the 3403 subjects screened at pharmacies, 1415 either reported having a history of hypertension or had elevated blood pressure during screening. Of these, 371 (26.22%) were enrolled in the program. Of these, 129 (34.8%) made at least one follow-up visit. For these subjects, the adjusted average difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the screening and follow-up visits was −11.53 (−16.95 to −6.11, 95% CI) and −4.68 (−8.53 to −0.82, 95% CI) mmHg, respectively. The adjusted odds of blood pressure being under control in this group during follow-up visits compared to screening visit was 7.07 (1.29 to 12.85, 95% CI). Task-sharing with private pharmacies can lead to early detection and improved control of blood pressure in a resource-constrained setting. Additional strategies to increase patient screening and retention rates are needed to ensure sustained health benefits.

Sarang Deo is a Professor of Operations Management at the Indian School of Business (ISB). He also serves as the Executive Director of the ISB’s Max Institute of Healthcare Management, where he provides strategic leadership for ISB's healthcare initiatives through interdisciplinary research, education, and collaboration.

Professor Deo's research focuses on healthcare delivery systems, examining how operational decisions influence population-level health outcomes. His work spans a wide range of healthcare contexts, including influenza vaccine supply chains and ambulance diversion in the United States, HIV early infant diagnosis networks in sub-Saharan Africa, and formal and informal pathways for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment in India. His recent research has focused on designing and evaluating healthcare delivery models, with a particular emphasis on digital health and the integration of artificial intelligence into healthcare systems.

He regularly collaborates with leading global health organisations, including the Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and PATH. He currently serves on the World Health Organization's Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Tuberculosis (STAG-TB) and the Working Group for Non-Technical Evaluation under the WHO Global Initiative on AI for Health (GI-AI4H).

Prior to joining ISB, Professor Deo was an Assistant Professor at the Kellogg School of Management. He holds a PhD from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and a BTech from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Before entering academia, he worked as a management consultant with Accenture.

Professor Sarang Deo
Sarang Deo