September 24th, 2021
By Dr. Scot Goldberg, MD
Hello everyone! This is part 2 of a series around how we work towards improving the patient experience! Part 1 related to Covid-19 and Flu vaccinations, and here we are going to discuss hypertension and the importance of checking your blood pressure!
Checking Your Blood Pressure
The U.S. Preventitive Task Force gave their current recommendation statement on April 27, 2021 concerning hypertension. The USPSTF recommends screening for hypertension (high blood pressure) for adults 18 years or older with office blood pressure measurements. They also recommend obtaining blood pressure measurements outside the clinical setting for confirmation before starting treatment.
So what does that mean for you?
Well everyone knows that high blood pressure can cause major problems These can range from the head (early dementia and bleeding strokes) all the way to the toes causing peripheral artery disease and amputations, and all organs in between. Many studies have shown that lowering blood pressure to acceptable levels (140/90 and preferably 130/80) can prevent these problems. We have many new medications that can help lower blood pressure but what a lot of people don’t recognize is that non-medical remedies can be just as effective such as diet, exercise and better sleep.
- Diet: Here at South Macomb Internal Medicine we focus pretty heavily on lifestyle choices that help impact these things, especially when it comes to nutrition for example with many posts here on this blog by Nanette Cameron, RDN.
- Exercise: We can also refer to physical therapists / trainers for proper exercise regimens. Generally we recommend some form of aerobic activity for 30 minutes at least 5 days per week.
- Sleep: We also analyze sleep disorders on a regular basis and if necessary can refer to a sleep lab or perform in-home sleep testing to make a diagnosis. Often we are told of patients falling asleep while receiving their instructions at home when they first put on the CPAP mask because they are so sleep deprived – NOT because they are bored I assure you. Ha!
Of course we offer the newest in medications and often we can control blood pressure with one pill per day, but what’s old is new, and one of the oldest medications available is spirnolactone which has seen a resurgence as this diuretic has been shown to lower blood pressure especially in difficult to treat cases.
Our doctors here are well versed in each of these approaches and treatments and continue to stay up to speed on any new medical developments. Please make sure you are staying on top of this and let us HELP you to do it!
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Improving The Patient Experience
A little background on this initiative and some highlights as outlined by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan:
Medicare Star Ratings is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help consumers find the best Medicare Advantage plan for them. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has two MA plans – Medicare Plus Blue℠ for its PPO members and BCN Advantage℠ for its HMO members.
CMS assesses a member’s health plan experience through the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or CAHPS, member survey. The survey asks patients to report on their experiences with a wide range of health care services. A large portion of the CAHPS survey is driven by the member’s experience with his or her physician’s team, including such things as follow-up on labs and imaging, and getting timely doctor appointments.
And, most importantly for patients, a positive patient experience results in better adherence to protocol, better relationships with health care providers and a feeling of mutual respect between them and their medical team.
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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd. Warren, Michigan 48093
Phone: (586) 276-7530
South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
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