Getting Out Front of Hypertension Is Good Medicine

Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to a host of health concerns, and this can be especially true for diabetics. The Burke Adult Primary Care team in Virginia wanted to increase the number of their patients whose blood pressure was under control. Starting from a baseline of 75 percent success, the team created call lists of at-risk patients and specifically targeted diabetics. To free up RNs, they also asked clinical assistants to handle outreach and blood pressure checks. In seven months, they achieved 85.7 percent success for hypertensive diabetic patients.

Here's What Worked

• Creating call lists for patients at risk for hypertension
• Targeting diabetic patients, who often overlook high blood pressure symptoms
• Having clinical assistants chip in to check blood pressure and outreach

What can your team do to reach out to patients proactively? What else could your team do to help patients manage chronic conditions?