{
  "abstract": "Uncontrolled hypertension remains a leading contributor to morbidity and mortality, particularly among underserved populations. To address care variability and disparities in treatment, the University of California Health system developed and implemented the UC Way Hypertension Medication Algorithm across six academic health centres. This standardised, evidence-based protocol was co-developed by a team of multidisciplinary experts in pharmacy, cardiology, primary care and data science, with an emphasis on medication affordability and the use of two-drug fixed dose combinations as first-line therapy. Implementation strategies included stakeholder engagement, clinician education and integration into electronic health records and routine workflows. The algorithm now informs treatment decisions for over 90000 patients with hypertension and has been associated with improvements in hypertension control. The manuscript focuses on the process of algorithm development, adaptation within a complex multi-payer environment and lessons learned in promoting standardisation, clinician uptake and health equity at scale. This model may inform similar efforts across other decentralised health systems seeking to optimise chronic disease management.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Sandeep P Kishore"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pharmacy, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Heather E Martin"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of California Health, Oakland, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Nicki Friedberg"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of California Berkeley University of California San Francisco Joint Medical Program, Berkeley, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Pranay Narang"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of California Health, Oakland, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Rachael Sak"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of California Health, Oakland, California, USA",
        "Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Samuel A Skootsky"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [],
      "name": "UC Way Hypertension Initiative Medication Use Collaborators"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Scalable treatment algorithm focused on hypertension management for the University of California",
  "uid": "87ae0af9-5f12-52e6-b338-e3f5adea881a"
}