New Weill Cornell campaign to improve hypertension prevention, detection and control

Weill Cornell Medical CollegeDec 1 2012

The Weill Cornell Physician Organization at Weill Cornell Medical College has joined more than 120 medical groups and health systems nationwide to launch the new health campaign Measure Up, Pressure Down aimed to improve high blood pressure prevention, detection and control. As part of the new campaign, organizations, such as Weill Cornell, have pledged to work toward achieving a goal of having 80 percent of high blood pressure patients in control of their condition by 2016.

"Weill Cornell Physician Organization is committed to improving the health of our hypertension patients and helping to reduce the national burden of high blood pressure -- the leading cause of stroke and heart disease," says Dr. Adam Stracher, leader of the Measure Up, Pressure Down campaign at Weill Cornell and director of the Primary Care Division of the Weill Cornell Physician Organization at Weill Cornell Medical College. "The new campaign wishes to ensure that every time a patient with elevated blood pressure touches the health care system, they get the education, monitoring, necessary medication and medical follow-up they need to properly manage and improve their health."

According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, one in three -- or 68 million -- U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and less than half of patients have their condition adequately controlled. High blood pressure contributes to nearly 1,000 deaths a day and accounts for an estimated $156 billion in health care services, medications and lost productivity. The CDC study states that the most effective way to control high blood pressure is for the patient to receive care from a coordinated team of health professionals.

This team-based approach is the catalyst behind the Measure Up, Pressure Down campaign launched by the American Medical Group Foundation (AMGF), the nonprofit education and research arm of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), which represents health care professionals and groups that deliver health care to nearly one in three Americans.

"Hypertension is one of the leading causes for patient visits to physician offices and a major culprit of chronic illness in our nation," says Dr. Stracher, who is also an associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and an associate attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

"However, high blood pressure is a condition that can be well managed and controlled, with patients living normal lives, if they are closely monitored by their physician, self-monitor and adhere to their prescribed medications and lifestyle modifications, including a healthy diet and daily exercise."

Weill Cornell and other Measure Up, Pressure Down participants have pledged to work toward achieving the campaign's goal by adopting one or more care processes known to improve patient outcomes. Weill Cornell Physician Organization plans to integrate its new care management program with the campaign to proactively identify and track its patients whose blood pressure is high and currently uncontrolled to intervene to improve their health. Groups will also report their progress on achieving better outcomes for patients.

Measure Up, Pressure Down will also engage patients, employers and other key stakeholders in a wide-reaching effort to raise awareness and empower individuals and communities to tackle one of the nation's most important public health challenges. Supporting organizations include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Million Hearts initiative, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Association of Black Cardiologists.