Jennifer Hilliard ScottThe American Heart Association (the Association) has partnered with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia to address hypertension by implementing a Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure (SMBP) initiative. Research shows that SMBP, coupled with clinical support, can improve blood pressure control.
Janis Coffin, DO, a family medicine physician at MCG and Wellstar MCG Health and one of the project’s leaders hopes “that this work will increase to awareness of high blood pressure, empower patients to manage their blood pressure, and ultimately reduce their risks of stroke and cardiovascular disease.”
In April, the Family and Community Medicine Center began connecting their hypertensive patients who were Medicare beneficiaries to educational materials and validated blood pressure cuffs. These patients are actively working through chronic care management plans. Patients are receiving the tools needed to check their blood pressure and resources to learn how to properly check and evaluate their readings. They are working closely with clinical staff and trained residents to report their readings along with other relevant data (compliance with medication(s), etc.). This data, along with the patient’s feedback, allows providers to supply proper care to control their blood pressure.
