Hypertension

Steering Toward Health is a multi-year initiative that focuses on the prevention of chronic diseases, and helping patients manage hypertension is an important area of emphasis. One of the most effective ways to diagnose and then help patients manage hypertension is through self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring, which is the regular measurement of blood pressure (BP) by a patient outside the clinical setting, most often at home.

Research shows that office blood pressure readings are often elevated, so giving patients the option to monitor blood pressure from a comfortable setting provides a set of readings the healthcare team can monitor, average and assess. Working together with the healthcare team, at-risk patients can learn how to measure and record blood pressure through this evidence-based practice. For clinicians, educating patients saves valuable clinic time as well.

Below you will find toolkit resources for both the healthcare team and the patient. These materials were developed by and are adopted from Target: BP™, a national initiative developed to help improve BP control rates by the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association.

 

The Steering Toward Health Hypertension Toolkit

For Clinical Staff and other Healthcare Professionals

Empower Patients Through SMBP Monitoring
DOWNLOAD  

Learn the advantages and details of implementing a self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) program.

SMBP Implementation Considerations
DOWNLOAD
  
How does an SMBP program work, and what steps does your practice need to consider before implementation?

Talking to Your Patients About Hypertension
DOWNLOAD
   
Resources for a discussion with patients about hypertension with a specific reminder about women and heart disease.

SMBP and Patient Affordability
DOWNLOAD

Learn what options are available to help patients with the cost of medical devices.

Success Profile: Yakima Valley Farm Workers
DOWNLOAD

Learn more about how one clinic's pilot project lowered the mean systolic blood pressure of program participants.

Success Profile: The Portland Clinic
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Learn how The Portland Clinic's hypertension control initiatives are linked to the organization's performance metrics.

Hypertension Stats and Facts
DOWNLOAD
  
Oregon and national statistics on hypertension prevalence and cost.

Blood Pressure Guidelines
Target BP DOWNLOAD

Highlights from the 2017 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults

7-Step SMBP Quick Guide
DOWNLOAD

Quick guide from the AMA on how to help patients achieve and maintain blood pressure goals.

SMBP CPT Coding Guide
TARGET BP DOWNLOAD

Overview of new CPT codes for providers that offer SMBP related clinical services

SMBP Poster
HORIZONTAL | VERTICAL

Printable poster for SMBP for use in clinics.

Additional Resource Links


Resources for Patients

Blood Pressure and Your Health
DOWNLOAD

A resource for your patients to understand and monitor their blood pressure.

Consequences of High Blood Pressure
DOWNLOAD

Infographic showing the domino effect of high blood pressure.


How to Measure Your Blood Pressure at Home
Target BP DOWNLOAD

Steps to perform SMBP monitoring correctly which includes preparation, positioning, and measurement.


SMBP Recording Log
 Target BP DOWNLOAD

Allows patients to document their BP readings twice a day, 7 day recording log.



What Can I do to Improve my Blood Pressure?
Target BP DOWNLOAD

Five lifestyle modifications for improving blood pressure in patients diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Additional Resource Links for Patients