Medscape (09/28/23) Weber, Steph

The American Medical Association (AMA) is funding standardized blood pressure (BP) training for doctors, physician assistants, nurses and other healthcare providers at five health education schools with $100,000 in grants. The association said each school will receive a $20,000 grant, building on a 2021 program to enhance BP measurement instruction. The funds will cover interactive lessons for nearly 5,000 students at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, Florida's Nova Southeastern University, the University of Washington, New York's Stony Brook University and the University of Pittsburgh. Martha Gulati, MD, professor and director of preventive cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, said the lack of BP training is troubling because under- and overtreatment of hypertension can occur with inaccurate readings. She found that only 23% of 571 clinicians surveyed in 2021 conducted accurate BP measurements, despite most saying they trusted readings taken in their clinic. A 2017 study of 159 students from medical schools across 37 states found just one student was competent in all 11 components required to measure BP accurately, while the average student performed only four elements correctly. Kate Kirley, MD, director of the AMA's chronic disease prevention and programs, said extending BP training to more members of the healthcare team can help improve hypertension management. Given the variability of equipment throughout settings, Kirley said participants will learn to perform manual, semi-automated and automated office BP readings and note circumventions for problematic room setups that can misrepresent results. They will also learn how to help patients conduct at-home BP readings.

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