New AMA Partnership Seeks to Improve Hypertension Control in the US

A new initiative from the American Medical Association (AMA) will help physicians better track and manage patients with hypertension, or high blood pressure. The AMA is collaborating with Azara Healthcare, a leading provider of data-driven reporting and analytics for physician practices, to offer its network of health care organizations across the US access to the AMA-developed MAP BP program.

More About MAP BP

MAP BP is a quality improvement program from the AMA that offers organizations resources to measure and support blood pressure control among their patients. MAP is named for its 3 key elements: “Measure accurately to obtain actionable data, Act rapidly to make shared treatment decisions, and Partner with patients to support their self-management.”

The goal of the program is to equip clinical teams and patients with the tools to make actionable progress in reducing high blood pressure. Participating organizations receive training to establish treatment protocols and workflows using guideline-directed treatment, as well as tools to measure and analyze patient-level and aggregated data on progress.

The data is populated using an organization’s electronic health records data, and physicians can access reports, trends, and more from a cloud-based dashboard. According to the AMA, use of the MAP BP program demonstrated a 10% increase in blood pressure control at 6 months of use, with continued improvement at 1 year.

Improving Blood Pressure Control in the US

Hypertension is a prevalent problem in the US that can heighten the risk for further comorbidity. It is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and renal disease, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.

“Nearly half of all adults in the US are living with high blood pressure, the nation’s number one risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and premature death, yet the rate of people with controlled blood pressure has been declining in recent years. We know these statistics reflect the fact that many patients face a variety of barriers, including the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to successfully manage the condition,” said AMA President Jack Resneck, Jr., MD, in a press release.

So far, 46 health care organizations in the US have implemented the MAP BP program. These metrics will now be available to all organizations that partner with Azara Healthcare to track quality measures.

“We are very excited to collaborate with the AMA for the opportunities it provides our clients to easily access actionable data—ultimately driving quality improvement and improving health outcomes for their patients with hypertension,” said Azara Healthcare’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Transformation LuAnn Kimker, RN, MSN.