What’s the news: The American Heart Association (AHA) and the AMA have recognized 1,709 health care organizations for their efforts to prioritize control of their patients’ blood pressure, 400 more than in 2022.
The organizations were recognized by Target: BP™, a joint initiative of the AHA and the AMA aimed at reducing the number of adult patients with uncontrolled BP. The health care organizations recognized for their efforts this year represent 47 states or U.S. territories and serve 8.6 million people with hypertension. Among those organizations, more than half—866—achieved gold or gold-plus award level recognition, which requires BP control rates of greater than or equal to 70%.
About 45%(784) of awardees achieved silver recognition, which requires BP-control data to be submitted and four out of six evidence-based BP activities to be completed, emphasizing accurate BP measurement through the use of validated, calibrated devices, care team training and testing, and systematic approaches to BP measurement. The remainder received participation-level recognition for submitting data for the first time and committing to reducing the number of adult patients with uncontrolled BP.
Why it’s important: According to the 2022 American Heart Association Statistical Update, nearly half of U.S. adults—121.5 million—are living with high BP, which accounts for more than $51 billion in annual health care costs.
“Millions of people are affected by high BP and many do not even realize they have hypertension,” said Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD. He is volunteer president of the AHA, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and professor of medicine and radiology at Stanford University.
“Research shows gaps in hypertension awareness, treatment and control,” Dr. Wu said. “Programs like Target: BP help health care organizations and care teams work to close those gaps, lowering blood pressure through patient awareness and education on managing risk factors, such as lifestyle choices and family history, and improving overall well-being.”
Since the AHA and AMA launched Target: BP™ in 2015, nearly 3,700 health care organizations have joined the nationwide movement to make heart health a priority—sharing a common goal to improve health outcomes associated with heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S.
“The American Medical Association and American Heart Association remain focused on ensuring all Americans have access to quality health care and all physicians and care teams have the support they need to control high blood pressure,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH. “We will continue working together to make hypertension control a top priority and lead efforts to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and improve the nation’s health.”
Learn more: Target: BP helps health care organizations work to improve BP control rates by leveraging the evidence-based AMA MAP™ framework (Measure Accurately; Act Rapidly; and Partner with Patients), and recognizes organizations committed to improving BP control. In addition to submitting annual data for BP-control rates, participants are asked to attest to their team’s commitment to accuracy in BP measurement.
Target: BP launched new award categories in 2021, emphasizing the importance of accurate BP measurement equipment, regular staff education and training, and reliable systems of care to ensure accurate BP measurement for every patient. See the complete list of 2023 awardees (PDF).
