Tests a care program for adults with high blood pressure and diabetes in Guatemala
Tests the HEARTS care program in clinics for adults with high blood pressure and diabetes.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Implementation Support for HEARTS-Based Hypertension and Diabetes Care in Guatemala
Key facts
- Where
- Guatemala City, GuatemalaSee the site
Where in Guatemala
- Ministry of Health health centersGuatemala City, GuatemalaContact: Chronic Disease Program, Ministry of HealthNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- University of Michigan
- Trial code
- NCT07536919
- Record updated
- 12 November 2026
- Original description
The purpose of this study is to find out whether extra support for a program called HEARTS can improve care for people who have both high blood pressure and diabetes. HEARTS was created by the World Health Organization to help primary care health centers deliver better treatment. It is the official model for high blood pressure and diabetes care in Guatemala's Ministry of Health. In this study, 36 Ministry of Health health centers in Guatemala will be randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Health centers in both groups will use HEARTS through the Ministry of Health's routine training, treatment guides, and digital tools. Health centers in 1 group will also receive 36 months of extra support from the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP). This support includes refresher training for health workers every 6 months, monthly supportive supervision visits, and coaching of a health center quality committee to use data to improve care. About 1,440 adults who have both high blood pressure and diabetes will take part. Participants will be assessed at the start of the study, at 6 months, and at 12 months. The main measure is systolic blood pressure at 12 months. The most important other measure is hemoglobin A1c (a blood test that shows average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months) at 12 months.Read full original descriptionShow less
Cluster-Randomized Trial of Implementation Support for HEARTS-Based Care Among Adults With Hypertension and Diabetes in Guatemala (MULTI-HEARTS)
The purpose of this study is to find out whether extra support for a program called HEARTS can improve care for people who have both high blood pressure and diabetes. HEARTS was created by the World Health Organization to help primary care health centers deliver better treatment. It is the official model for high blood pressure and diabetes care in Guatemala's Ministry of Health. In this study, 36 Ministry of Health health centers in Guatemala will be randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Health centers in both groups will use HEARTS through the Ministry of Health's routine training, treatment guides, and digital tools. Health centers in 1 group will also receive 36 months of extra support from the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP). This support includes refresher training for health workers every 6 months, monthly supportive supervision visits, and coaching of a health center quality committee to use data to improve care. About 1,440 adults who have both high blood pressure and diabetes will take part. Participants will be assessed at the start of the study, at 6 months, and at 12 months. The main measure is systolic blood pressure at 12 months. The most important other measure is hemoglobin A1c (a blood test that shows average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months) at 12 months.
Inclusion: Age 18 years or older; Blood pressure criteria, defined as mean systolic blood pressure of ≥130 mmHg at the screening visit and again at the enrollment visit, held 1 to 14 days apart; Glycemic criteria, defined as one of the following: (a) for individuals with a prior diagnosis of diabetes or currently taking a glucose-lowering drug, HbA1c of ≥6.5% at the screening visit; (b) for individuals without a prior diagnosis of diabetes and not taking a glucose-lowering drug, HbA1c of ≥6.5% at both the screening and enrollment visits; Living in a community served by one of the health centers included in the study and willing to receive health care at the corresponding health center; Provides informed consent in Spanish or the main Mayan language in the municipality where they live.
Exclusion: Type 1 diabetes, based on self-reported medical history or the judgment of the study physician; Illness that, in the judgment of the study physician, limits life expectancy to less than 12 months or would prevent completion of study follow-up, including but not limited to end-stage kidney disease requiring or awaiting dialysis, advanced heart failure, liver failure, or cancer under active treatment; Pregnant or planning pregnancy during the 12-month follow-up period, based on self-report; Currently participating in another research study involving an intervention; Planning to leave the community served by the health center during the 12-month follow-up period.