Hypertension

The one graphic you need for accurate blood pressure reading

. 3 MIN READ
By
Staff News Writer

Blood-pressure (BP) measurement is a routine procedure in most practices, but are you sure it’s done accurately in yours? It’s easy to get innaccurate results if physicians and patients are not on the same page about what is needed to measure BP accurately. This infographic for in-office BP measurement (PDF) offers a simple way to help your patients and practice get the most accurate results, and is also available in Spanish (PDF).

SMBP quick guide

AMA's self-measured blood pressure quick guide offers an easy reference for physicians and care teams to help train patients to perform SMBP monitoring.

Get the Guide

Other tips for addressing hypertension are available through AMA MAP BP™, a leading evidence-based quality improvement program that provides a clear path to significant, sustained improvements in BP control. With AMA MAP BP, health care organizations can increase BP control rates quickly. The program has demonstrated a 10% increase in BP control in six months with sustained results at one year.

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Hypertension control is falling, and the cause may surprise you

More ways to improve

Here are some additional resources to help you improve your practice’s hypertension management:

  1. What to ask when measuring BP

    1. To perform proper BP measurement and maintain control in your patients, make sure your workflow includes these three important questions.

  2. Keys for taking BP at home

    1. When patients measure their blood pressure regularly—and share those measurements with their doctors—they are playing an important role in their care.

  3. A tool to help with telehealth visits

    1. The AMA’s 7-step SMBP Quick Guide is an evidence-based tool created to help clinical teams manage hypertension using patient measured BPs

    2.  

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  4. How to partner with patients

    1. By partnering with patients, physicians and their care teams can help remove obstacles to treatment adherence and improve blood pressure control to save and extend lives. But that requires effective, patient-centered communication.

  5. A blueprint for boosting BP control

    1. The nation’s BP control rate has been getting worse over time. Health care leaders should follow these eight key steps to reverse the trend.

  6. Go-to definitions in the BP guideline

    1. Evidence-driven recommendations introduced in 2017 are still crucial for patients and physicians to understand. They include BP categories, adjusted treatments and treatment targets.

  7. Get the CPT codes for self-measured BP

    1. Thanks to the abundance of research on the benefits of out-of-office BPs, the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set now includes self-measured blood pressure.

  8. BP measurement for trainees

    1. Health professions schools do not always offer an evidence-based, standardized training or consistently provide training in self-measured BP. A webinar explores a new online training module that can improve students’ measurement skills and keep their knowledge sharp for years to come.

  9. How to find validated devices

    1. The US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing (VDL™) identifies blood pressure measurement devices that have been validated for clinical accuracy as determined through an independent review process.

An AMA membership means you’re motivating millions to control hypertension. When the nation’s health is on the line, you can count on the AMA to be part of the solution.

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