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Innovative strategies are needed to reduce the hypertension epidemic among African Americans. Reach Out was a faith-collaborative, mobile health, randomized, pilot intervention trial of four mobile health components to reduce high blood pressure (BP) compared to usual care. It was designed and tested within a community-based participatory research framework among African Americans recruited and randomized from churches in Flint, Michigan. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the Reach Out processes. Feasibility was assessed by willingness to consent (acceptance of randomization), proportion of weeks participants texted their BP readings (intervention use), number lost to follow-up (retention), and responses to postintervention surveys and focus groups (acceptance of intervention). Of the 425 church members who underwent BP screening, 94 enrolled in the study and 73 (78%) completed the 6-month outcome assessment. Median age was 58 years, and 79% were women. Participants responded with their BPs on an average of 13.7 (SD = 10.7) weeks out of 26 weeks that the BP prompts were sent. All participants reported satisfaction with the intervention. Reach Out, a faith-collaborative, mobile health intervention was feasible. Further study of the efficacy of the intervention and additional mobile health strategies should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women who have been identified with a BRCA mutation benefit from a multidisciplinary, individualized medical evaluation to reduce their risk of developing cancers. Identifying women who would gain from testing for BRCA mutations is essential. Nurse practitioners (NPs) as primary care providers are important members of the healthcare team and are instrumental in identifying and referring women for testing. However, studies have shown that NPs lack knowledge about and confidence in identifying women at risk. Objectives: This project was undertaken to increase NP knowledge about assessing women at risk for the BRCA mutation and determining whether such testing is appropriate. This was accomplished through a BRCA risk assessment tool developed as a mobile health technology (MHT) application using the Ontario Family History Assessment Tool, one of the tools recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in its guidelines on BRCA-related cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling, and genetic testing to assist primary care providers in the assessment of women. Methods: NPs attending an NP conference in the midwestern United States completed pre-test, post-test, and satisfaction surveys regarding use of the MHT application. The application included a point-of-care tool and educational information. Findings: The participants demonstrated increased knowledge from pre- to post-test after use of the MHT application, with an overall positive evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]