The threat is even greater considering that 48.6% of the U.S. population has some form of CVD and 46.7% have hypertension, as reported in this journal. Circulation. Only about 25% of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. And the situation is only getting worse. After decades of progress, the proportion of adults with hypertension whose blood pressure is controlled is decreasing.

The best of AMA’s hypertension solutions is the AMA MAP™ Hypertension Quality Improvement Program. The MAP initialisms represent three key elements that physicians and healthcare organizations should focus on:

• MAccurately measure blood pressure.
• aActs quickly to optimize treatment.
• PCollaborate with patients to support future self-management.

This evidence-based quality improvement program incorporates practice facilitation, peer-to-peer education, a targeted set of performance indicators, and evidence-based strategies and action steps. All of this is aimed at helping doctors and other health care professionals significantly and sustainably manage their patients’ high blood pressure.

To properly diagnose high blood pressure and develop an effective treatment plan, blood pressure must be measured consistently and accurately. Apart from patient-related factors such as recent caffeine or nicotine use, a number of errors related to positioning and procedure can lead to inaccurate measurements.

The main cause is the use of the wrong cuff size, but among many other factors, improper patient or cuff positioning, accuracy not clinically validated, or not properly maintained. The use of blood pressure devices can result in flawed readings.

The AMA convened measurement experts in hypertension management, resulting in the launch of the National Blood Pressure Validated Device List (VDL).^TM), another free resource that physicians and care teams can use to select accurate blood pressure measurement devices to use both in and out of the clinical setting. Although blood pressure measurements may seem routine, the skills required to do so are complex and can be lost over time. Therefore, guidelines recommend that he be retrained every 6 to 12 months.

In response to the prevalence of poor blood pressure control, the AMA and AHA created the following goals: blood pressure™ is a comprehensive initiative featuring educational programs, self-guided tools and resources, and annual award categories aligned to the AMA MAP framework. Who: BP leverages the latest scientific evidence from the AHA, AMA, and other experts to help healthcare organizations and communities improve blood pressure management for the patients they serve.

Target BP also supports health care organizations in their quality improvement efforts, and aims to improve health care practices that implement evidence-based blood pressure activities and achieve blood pressure control in at least 70% of the patients they serve. We award institutions every year.

The positive impact of target blood pressure is growing. Last year, organizations serving 8.6 million people with high blood pressure submitted data to the program, and more than 1,700 healthcare organizations were recognized for their outstanding efforts to prioritize blood pressure management. More than half of these organizations, 866, achieved a Gold or Gold Plus award-level rating, which requires a blood pressure control rate of 70% or higher.

Accurately measured audio data necessitates immediate action to manage hypertension to avoid serious risks of CVD and related comorbidities. Failure to initiate or intensify hypertension treatment, also referred to as clinical inertia, significantly contributes to poor blood pressure control.

From a health systems perspective, several factors cause clinical inertia, including time constraints and inefficient electronic health record workflows. However, the standardized treatment protocols outlined under the AMA MAP Hypertension Quality Improvement Program will help overcome clinical inertia and ensure that physicians and all members of the treatment team are involved and remain involved in hypertension management. Designed to assist you. Because the average hypertensive patient requires more than one drug to achieve control, the protocol emphasizes adding drug classes and monthly follow-up to quickly reduce risk.

Effective treatment of hypertension involves empowering patients to take greater ownership of their health care by understanding the long-term risks posed by uncontrolled blood pressure. The AMA provides a wealth of information and resources to help physicians and care teams show patients how to accurately measure blood at home or in a non-clinical setting. For example, the AMA 7-Step Self-Measuring Blood Pressure Quick Guide allows patients to actively participate in managing their blood pressure and has been shown to improve adherence to antihypertensive medications.

Hypertension disproportionately affects historically marginalized populations. Almost 80% of Black adults in the United States with high blood pressure have uncontrolled hypertension. In 2020, the AMA, AHA, AMA Foundation, American College of Black Cardiologists, Inc., Minority Health Institute, Inc., and the National Medical Association raise awareness of heart health among Black women and encourage Black women To do this, we established the “Release the Pressure” campaign. Track your blood pressure numbers and create a health plan within your personal support network. To date, the campaign has provided self-blood pressure monitoring training to more than 144,000 Black women.

In addition, the AMA, AHA, and Ad Council have launched a series of awareness campaigns, including “Get Down with Your Blood Pressure,” to highlight the importance of blood pressure management for Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American adults. It was started. Among other initiatives, the AMA continues to work with Westside United and Wellness West in our hometown of Chicago to improve heart health and improve the health of people living there and in the city’s most affluent neighborhoods. We are working to close the 14-year gap in life expectancy between .

The AMA and its partners are raising awareness of the growing problem of uncontrolled hypertension and providing continued support and resources to physicians, care teams, and the patients they serve to address our nation’s most pressing health challenges. We are working tirelessly to give one an edge. .