Effects of FOR-Care Model on Preventive Medicine

Background: The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes among adults is considerable. For those already diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes, monitoring blood pressure and controlling body weight are recognized as essential methods for risk assessment. However, in outpatient settings, there is still room for improvement in the on-site documentation of blood pressure, height, and weight. Objective: This cluster randomized trial (CRT) will assess the effects of preventive medicine following the implementation of the FOR-Care model, a technique designed for facilitating on-site recordings of office blood pressure, height, and weight. Methods: The investigators will conduct a pragmatic CRT at the outpatient clinics of the Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital. A total of 42 clinics with over 15 patients will be randomized into two groups. The intervention group will adopt a FOR-Care model, required to measure and record blood pressure, height, and weight before consultations; while the control group receives usual care. The protected medical information will be accessed through the National Taiwan University Hospital Integrative Medical Database (NTUH-iMD). The quality improvement outcome is documentation of on-site blood pressure, height, and weight recordings of both groups at 12 and 24 weeks (cluster-level parameter). The primary preventive medicine outcome is newly diagnosed hypertension and diabetes mellitus (individual-level parameter). The secondary preventive medicine outcomes are clinical indicators of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in those with these diagnoses (individual-level parameters). Expected Outcomes: The results of this pragmatic CRT will shed new insight into preventive medicine and quality of care in the management of common chronic diseases.