NR 506 Week 3 Quality Healthcare: Controlling Hypertension

NR 506 Week 3 Quality Healthcare: Controlling Hypertension

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-506: Healthcare Policy

Prof. Name

Date

Quality Healthcare: Controlling Hypertension

Hypertension continues to be a critical public health issue in the United States, contributing significantly to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and premature mortality. Often called the “silent killer,” hypertension frequently goes unnoticed until serious complications develop. Because of its widespread impact, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) includes hypertension management as a key indicator in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) under the effectiveness of care domain (NCQA, 2020).

Addressing hypertension effectively requires collaboration between patients and healthcare professionals. Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) are essential in implementing interventions, tracking progress, and coaching patients to make and sustain healthier choices. Through personalized, patient-centered interventions, FNPs improve long-term health outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance patient satisfaction.

Patient Interventions and Measuring Outcomes

What interventions can patients use to control hypertension?

Effective management of hypertension depends on active patient involvement. Approximately 30% of adults in the U.S. have hypertension, and globally, more than one billion people are affected (Liyanage-Don, Fung, Phillips, & Kronish, 2019). Empowering patients through self-care and education promotes adherence to treatment and leads to better outcomes.

Three primary patient interventions for controlling hypertension include:

1. Home blood pressure monitoring and tracking results

2. Following a heart-healthy diet

3. Engaging in regular physical activity

FNPs reinforce these interventions by providing continuous education, assessing progress, and creating personalized care plans tailored to each patient’s needs.

Table 1

Patient Interventions for Controlling Hypertension

Measuring NP Performance in Patient Outcomes

How can FNPs measure whether interventions are successful?

To determine the effectiveness of interventions, FNPs utilize self-reported and performance-based measures.

• Self-Reported Measures: Patients maintain food diaries, exercise logs, and provide feedback about how lifestyle changes impact their well-being. These reports help evaluate behavioral adherence and perceived improvement.

• Performance-Based Measures: Objective indicators such as blood pressure readings, weight, and exercise endurance enable FNPs to measure progress and make evidence-based adjustments to care.

Table 2

Tools for Measuring Patient Outcomes

By combining both self-reported and objective data, FNPs can individualize treatment plans, identify barriers, and promote sustainable lifestyle changes (Blumenthal et al., 2017).

Improved Patient Outcomes and Cost Savings

How do patient interventions contribute to cost savings?

Patient-centered interventions that emphasize self-monitoring, diet modification, and regular exercise not only lower blood pressure but also prevent complications such as stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. Preventing these conditions leads to significant cost savings for both individuals and the healthcare system.

Many FNPs incorporate the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim Framework, which focuses on:

1. Enhancing patient care experiences

2. Improving population health

3. Reducing per capita healthcare costs (Verma & Bhatia, 2016)

When hypertension is effectively managed, the frequency of hospitalizations, emergency visits, and advanced treatments decreases—allowing for more efficient use of healthcare resources.

Improved Patient Ratings

Patient satisfaction is an essential indicator of healthcare quality and is closely tied to treatment outcomes. As Medicare and insurance reimbursement models increasingly link payments to patient satisfaction, providers are incentivized to ensure positive patient experiences (Lindsay, 2017).

When patients actively participate in their care, use home monitoring devices, and collaborate in decision-making, they develop stronger trust in their providers and show greater adherence to treatment plans. For instance, patients who monitor their blood pressure at home often express higher satisfaction and are more likely to recommend their healthcare providers.

Conclusion

Managing hypertension effectively relies on collaborative, patient-centered strategies. Key approaches—such as home monitoring, dietary changes, and regular physical activity—play a critical role in preventing complications and promoting long-term wellness. Family Nurse Practitioners are fundamental in guiding, monitoring, and supporting patients through these interventions.

Ultimately, empowering patients to take control of their health improves outcomes, reduces costs, and enhances satisfaction, transforming hypertension management from a medical requirement into a sustainable lifestyle choice.

References

Blumenthal, J. A., Sherwood, A., Smith, P. J., Mabe, S., Watkins, L., Lin, P., … Hinderliter, A. (2015). Lifestyle modification for resistant hypertension: The TRIUMPH randomized clinical trial. American Heart Journal, 170(5), 986–994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2015.08.006

Deka, P., Pozehl, B., Williams, M. A., & Yates, B. (2017). Adherence to recommended exercise guidelines in patients with heart failure. Heart Failure Reviews, 22(1), 41–53.

Dinu, M., Pagliai, G., & Sofi, F. (2017). A heart-healthy diet for hypertension prevention and control. Nutrients, 9(9), 1060. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9091060

Kristanti, D., & Prihartono, N. (2019). Obesity as a predictor of hypertension in adult population: A 14-years retrospective cohort study. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 10(6), 491–497.

NR 506 Week 3 Quality Healthcare: Controlling Hypertension

Lindsay, R. W. (2017). Linking reimbursement to patient satisfaction: Is the tail wagging the dog? JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 19(3), 173–174.

Liyanage-Don, N., Fung, D., Phillips, E., & Kronish, I. M. (2019). Implementing home blood pressure monitoring into clinical practice. Current Hypertension Reports, 21(2), 14.

National Committee for Quality Assurance. (2020). HEDIS measures. Retrieved from http://www.ncqa.org/hedis/measures/

Verma, A., & Bhatia, S. (2016). A policy framework for health systems to promote triple aim innovations. HealthCarePapers, 15(3), 9–23.