Health care professionals have an opportunity to brush up on taking blood pressure measurements correctly at free training sessions offered this week by the state Department of Health. Health care professionals have an opportunity to brush up on taking blood
Health care professionals have an opportunity to brush up on taking blood pressure measurements correctly at free training sessions offered this week by the state Department of Health.
The trainings, held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oahu, is the first of the department’s initiatives to support the Million Hearts campaign, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project introduced last year to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes. Other initiatives are being developed and will be announced once finalized, said Linda Green, of the department’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program.
Green said there are spaces still available and those interested should call her at 285-2567. Only three of the participants, representing a private internal medicine practice and Hui Malama Ola Na Oiwi, are from Hawaii Island, as of Monday.
The trainings are made possible through support from the Hawaii Medical Assurance Association, University Health Alliance, AlohaCare and Hawaii Medical Service Association. The Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Independent Physicians Association and Philippine Medical Association also contributed valuable assistance with the training development and participant recruitment. The department decided to offer this blood pressure measurement refresher course because there isn’t one offered in Hawaii and health care providers, when asked, agreed such an assessment was needed, Green said.
Accurate blood pressure measurement is an exacting process, requiring careful attention and periodic retraining. All types of blood pressure equipment should be regularly inspected and calibrated, according to the American Heart Association.
High blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors of heart disease and stroke, affecting one in three adults statewide. The goal of the trainings is to introduce systems to improve measurement accuracy and reduce errors in everyday diagnosis and treatment, as well as increase participants’ confidence and renew their skills, Green said.
Clinical studies show approximately 30 to 60 percent of health care professionals nationwide measure blood pressure incorrectly. Accurate blood pressure measurement is indispensable for successful detection and hypertension management, Green said.
“A doctor’s appointment usually begins with a blood pressure check,” said Health Director Loretta Fuddy. “Taking a blood pressure reading is a routine procedure, yet so critical to identifying life-threatening conditions. I’ve seen clinical studies show a surprising numbers of health care professionals in the United States take a blood pressure incorrectly, and we wind up with unnecessary costs, inappropriate treatment and missed diagnoses.”
Besides learning the evidence-based practice guidelines and procedures, participants will also take pre- and post-exams to measure competency. In the end, the department hopes the trainees will become the trainer. DOH wants to establish blood pressure management specialists and trainers on each island to promote and teach consistent use of evidence-based blood pressure guidelines in their community to others in health care, Green said.
“This training initiative is a perfect example of where public health can step in and make changes that will benefit thousands of our residents,” Fuddy said.
