Care Plan Elements of Hypertension
Susan Salby
American Sentinel University

Care Plan Elements of Hypertension
Worldwide, hypertension is the most common contributor to death of any medical risk factor. HTN contributes to the development of heart disease, heart failure, chronic renal failure requiring dialysis, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and cognitive decline. The risk of cardiovascular events doubles for every 20/10mmHg rise in blood pressure above 115/70mmHg. Untreated HTN causes progressive renal and vascular damage, eventually leading to a treatment resistant state. Hypertension is usually diagnosed and treated in the community. As this is largely an asymptomatic disease, particularly in its initial stages, compliance with treatment regimens can be problematic. Successful treatment of HTN relies on the patient establishing an ongoing therapeutic relationship with a trusted and knowledgeable health professional (Casey, 2011). Tools to manage care, such as clinical pathways, practice guidelines, and best practices have increased as the health care insurance industry has put more pressure on health care providers to improve care and provide more cost-effective care. These tools offer health care providers the opportunity to determine the best approaches to clinical problems based on current research and expertise (Finkleman, 2011). Best Practices
Best practices are those treatments, procedures, tests, therapies and interventions that have consistently shown, through research and evaluation, superior results, and are then used as benchmarks. Best practices, also called evidence-based practices, include four elements: clinical expertise, research evidence, patient history and assessment data, and patient values and preferences (Finkleman, 2011). Best practice in regard to hypertension begins with the understanding that