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Hypertension Control

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Introduction

This page provides a selection of current, high-quality resources to support the National Hypertension Control Initiative addressing hypertension disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations. Through this initiative, HRSA awarded $89.5 million to health centers that meet specified criteria. Funds support patient outreach and engagement as well as the use of Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) devices. Topics in this brief range from addressing undiagnosed hypertension to helping patients manage and control high blood pressure, to implementing SMBP. There are also several resources related to Million Hearts 2027, a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes within 5 years.

About the Issue

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is among the most prevalent diseases in the United States. About 45 percent of adults in the United States have hypertension and only about one-fourth of those patients have their hypertension under control.1 The condition can lead to serious health problems and puts patients at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Hypertension is most prevalent among African American adults (54%), followed by White adults (46%), Asian adults (39%), and Hispanic adults (36%).1 Addressing the disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations is a primary focus of the National Hypertension Control Initiative.

Resources

Resources Related to the Million Hearts 2022 Program

Displaying 6 records:

SMBP: Evidence-based Protocols for Using it in Clinical Practice (2021). Resource Type: Video. Description: An overview of SMBP, its benefits, and how to use it in a clinical practice. More Details...

SMBP CPT Coding (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) refers to blood pressure (BP) measurements obtained outside of a physician’s practice, usually at home. When combined with clinical support (e.g., one-on-one counseling, web-based or telephonic support tools, education), SMBP can enhance the quality and accessibility of care for people with high blood pressure and improve blood pressure control. SMBP can be used to assess BP control and to make a diagnosis of hypertension. SMBP allows patients to actively participate in the management of their BP and has been shown to improve adherence to antihypertensive medications. More Details...

Using SMBP to Diagnose and Manage Hypertension (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Out-of-office BP measurements are recommended to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension. Recent research estimates that up to 30% of patients with non-hypertensive in-office blood pressure readings have elevated blood pressures when measured outside of the office (Masked Hypertension). In addition, up to 35% of people with elevated office blood pressures may have normal blood pressures when measured outside of the office (White-Coat Hypertension). SMBP helps prevent these misclassifications and helps ensure patients are diagnosed more accurately. More Details...

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) Implementation Toolkit (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This toolkit is designed to help organizations implement self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) successfully into their care processes and workflows. SMBP refers to blood pressure measurements taken outside of the clinical setting, usually at home. SMBP helps with both diagnosis and management of hypertension and increases patient participation in their own care. SMBP, when combined with other clinical supports, improves hypertension control. More Details...

Accelerating Use of SMBP through Clinical-Community Care Models (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP), the regular measurement of blood pressure by a patient outside the clinical setting, plus additional support, is a proven, cost-effective but underutilized strategy to improve hypertension outcomes. To accelerate SMBP use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded the National Association of Community Health Centers, the YMCA of the USA, and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to develop cross-sector care models to offer SMBP to patients with hypertension. More Details...

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: Action Steps for Clinicians: Action Steps for Clinicians (2014). Resource Type: n.a.. Description: The purpose of this guide is to facilitate the implementation of SMBP plus clinical support in four key areas: Preparing care teams to support SMBP, selecting and incorporating clinical support systems, empowering patients, and encouraging health insurance coverage for SMBP plus additional clinical support. For each area, the guide lists actions that can facilitate the implementation of SMBP plus additional support. Beside each action step, it provides corresponding electronic resources to assist with these actions. It also includes appendices that describe proper SMBP preparation and technique, clinical support interventions that are effective when used with SMBP, the proper way to check a home blood pressure monitor for accuracy, and the burden and cost of hypertension. More Details...

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Resources

Displaying 10 records:

SMBP: Evidence-based Protocols for Using it in Clinical Practice (2021). Resource Type: Video. Description: An overview of SMBP, its benefits, and how to use it in a clinical practice. More Details...

Are Community Health Center Patients Interested in Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) – And Can They Do It? (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) helps diagnose and manage hypertension from outside the clinic, which has implications for patient empowerment and outcomes, continuity of care, and resilience in care communities catering to vulnerable populations. More Details...

SMBP CPT Coding (2021). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) refers to blood pressure (BP) measurements obtained outside of a physician’s practice, usually at home. When combined with clinical support (e.g., one-on-one counseling, web-based or telephonic support tools, education), SMBP can enhance the quality and accessibility of care for people with high blood pressure and improve blood pressure control. SMBP can be used to assess BP control and to make a diagnosis of hypertension. SMBP allows patients to actively participate in the management of their BP and has been shown to improve adherence to antihypertensive medications. More Details...

Using SMBP to Diagnose and Manage Hypertension (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Out-of-office BP measurements are recommended to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension. Recent research estimates that up to 30% of patients with non-hypertensive in-office blood pressure readings have elevated blood pressures when measured outside of the office (Masked Hypertension). In addition, up to 35% of people with elevated office blood pressures may have normal blood pressures when measured outside of the office (White-Coat Hypertension). SMBP helps prevent these misclassifications and helps ensure patients are diagnosed more accurately. More Details...

US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing (2021). Resource Type: Website. Description: Uncontrolled high blood pressure (“BP”) is the leading risk factor for death and disability. The accurate measurement of BP is essential for the diagnosis and management of hypertension. One important aspect of accurate measurement is whether the BP measurement device has been validated for clinical accuracy. This website lists blood pressure measurement devices that have been validated for clinical accuracy as determined through an independent review process. More Details...

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) Implementation Toolkit (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This toolkit is designed to help organizations implement self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) successfully into their care processes and workflows. SMBP refers to blood pressure measurements taken outside of the clinical setting, usually at home. SMBP helps with both diagnosis and management of hypertension and increases patient participation in their own care. SMBP, when combined with other clinical supports, improves hypertension control. More Details...

Accelerating Use of Self‑measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) Through Clinical‑Community Care Models (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The project aimed to increase the use of Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring (SMBP) through the coordinated action of health department leaders, community organizations and clinical providers. More Details...

SMBP Joint Policy Statement 2020 (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured BP monitoring, the measurement of BP by an individual outside of the office at home, is a validated approach for out-of-office BP measurement. Several national and international hypertension guidelines endorse self-measured BP monitoring. Indications include the diagnosis of white-coat hypertension and masked hypertension and the identification of white-coat effect and masked uncontrolled hypertension. Other indications include confirming the diagnosis of resistant hypertension and detecting morning hypertension. More Details...

Accelerating Use of SMBP through Clinical-Community Care Models (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP), the regular measurement of blood pressure by a patient outside the clinical setting, plus additional support, is a proven, cost-effective but underutilized strategy to improve hypertension outcomes. To accelerate SMBP use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded the National Association of Community Health Centers, the YMCA of the USA, and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to develop cross-sector care models to offer SMBP to patients with hypertension. More Details...

Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: Action Steps for Clinicians: Action Steps for Clinicians (2014). Resource Type: n.a.. Description: The purpose of this guide is to facilitate the implementation of SMBP plus clinical support in four key areas: Preparing care teams to support SMBP, selecting and incorporating clinical support systems, empowering patients, and encouraging health insurance coverage for SMBP plus additional clinical support. For each area, the guide lists actions that can facilitate the implementation of SMBP plus additional support. Beside each action step, it provides corresponding electronic resources to assist with these actions. It also includes appendices that describe proper SMBP preparation and technique, clinical support interventions that are effective when used with SMBP, the proper way to check a home blood pressure monitor for accuracy, and the burden and cost of hypertension. More Details...

General Hypertension Resources

Displaying 5 records:

SMBP Joint Policy Statement 2020 (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Self-measured BP monitoring, the measurement of BP by an individual outside of the office at home, is a validated approach for out-of-office BP measurement. Several national and international hypertension guidelines endorse self-measured BP monitoring. Indications include the diagnosis of white-coat hypertension and masked hypertension and the identification of white-coat effect and masked uncontrolled hypertension. Other indications include confirming the diagnosis of resistant hypertension and detecting morning hypertension. More Details...

Mi salud es mi tesoro: Un guía para vivir bien con diabetes: My Health Is My Treasure: A Guide to Living Well With Diabetes (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Migrant Clinicians Network’s groundbreaking new Spanish-language comic book, “Mi salud es mi tesoro: Un guía para vivir bien con diabetes,” or “My Health Is My Treasure: A Guide to Living Well With Diabetes,” tells the relatable story of Goyo, an agricultural worker with a new diabetes diagnosis. Illustrated by artist and frequent MCN collaborator Salvador Saenz, the colorful, low-literacy comic book allows clinicians to share how to live with diabetes, with content tailored specifically for agricultural workers. More Details...

Developing Cross-Sector Partnerships (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: This guide provides health center staff with tools and strategies to initiate, develop, and sustain community partnerships to better serve older adult residents of public housing. Content of this publication was developed through a 4-session learning collaborative launched by the SDOH academy with a small cohort of HRSA-funded health centers, HCCNs, and PCAs. More Details...

Social Determinants of Health for Public Housing Residents: Access to Healthy Food (2020). Resource Type: Publication. Description: Using data and maps created by National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) and other national data sources, this publication is one in a series that identifies the prevalence of social factors and population health indicators that affect public housing residents. It is intended for non-clinical health center staff, decision makers, and public housing stakeholders. More Details...

Guide to Improving Care Processes and Outcomes in Health Centers: An approach to quality improvement (2016). Resource Type: Publication. Description: The quality improvement QI approach outlined in this Guide can be used to augment current QI approaches used in your health center, or can serve as a placeholder QI methodology when there isn’t already a robust QI process in place. It provides a framework and tools for documenting, analyzing, sharing and improving key workflows and information flows that drive performance on high-stakes care performance measures, and related improvement imperatives. This webpage provides strategies and tools that health centers and their partners can use to enhance care processes and outcomes targeted for improvement, such as hypertension and diabetes control, preventive care, and many others. More Details...

Undiagnosed Hypertension Resources

Displaying 3 records:

The Role of the Health Center Board Member & Board Recruitment (part 1) (2022). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: CPCA developed a 2-part governance training series based on NACHC developed Governance curriculum. The two, one-hour webinars provide summaries around individual board member responsibilities, the responsibilities of a board as a collective, how to work with the CEO, and tips and tricks around board recruitment, training and retention. More Details...

Using SMBP to Diagnose and Manage Hypertension (2021). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: Out-of-office BP measurements are recommended to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension. Recent research estimates that up to 30% of patients with non-hypertensive in-office blood pressure readings have elevated blood pressures when measured outside of the office (Masked Hypertension). In addition, up to 35% of people with elevated office blood pressures may have normal blood pressures when measured outside of the office (White-Coat Hypertension). SMBP helps prevent these misclassifications and helps ensure patients are diagnosed more accurately. More Details...

Health Screenings in the Dental Office (2011). Resource Type: Archived Webinar. Description: This Powerpoint presentation describes the importance of screening in a dental clinic and includes data from the CDC National Diabetes Fact Sheet, discusses the first reports of HIV/AIDS, and reviews the CDC's basics of HIV including counseling and testing recommendations. It provides a detailed rationale for current prevention efforts. More Details...

All Resources from the Clearinghouse

The Clearinghouse actively collects focused resources on this topic. You can view all resources within the Clearinghouse related to hypertension here.


References

1 High Blood Pressure. CDC Facts About Hypertension

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $6,625,000 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.