Fort Lupton

Researchers are evaluating three different strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients facing health disparities such as ethnic minorities, those with limited English proficiency, and low-income groups. The study focuses on improving control of key risk factors identified by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8), which include blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, physical activity, body mass index, diet, and smoking. The main goal is to see if text messaging, interactive AI chatbot messaging, or chatbot messaging combined with proactive pharmacist support can improve patient self-management and health outcomes. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group will receive generic text messages once a week for nine weeks. The second group will receive four interactive AI chatbot messages each week for nine weeks, with information and encouragement about managing their cardiovascular risk. The third group will receive the same AI chatbot messages plus additional proactive support from pharmacists to help engage and support patients. The study also includes a development phase to tailor the chatbot messages to the target populations and a pilot phase to test the intervention before the main trial. Patients will be closely monitored through clinical data and self-reports over the course of the study, which will last up to five years. Researchers will measure changes in the LE8 health score from the start through 12 months after randomization. Other outcomes include medication adherence, clinical events, healthcare use, and patient self-efficacy. The study involves three health systems serving large populations experiencing health disparities and hopes to identify the best ways to support these patients in managing their cardiovascular health.