Introduction
In healthcare, a nurse practitioner’s goal is to ensure the quality of provided care, so it is essential to consider performance measures. Out of six domains, the effectiveness of care is among the most vital and focuses on improving patient outcomes. A performance measure related to the domain of the effectiveness of care is the percentage of patients who achieve the recommended blood pressure levels (Edwards & DiPette, 2019). This is especially important since hypertension has many unfavorable consequences, damaging patients’ health. Therefore, in order to improve patients’ outcomes, it can be helpful to consider blood pressure performance through such interventions as medication adherence, lifestyle modifications, and home blood pressure monitoring.
Medication Adherence
One intervention to improve the effectiveness of care related to hypertension is to ensure medication adherence. Often, patients fail to maintain their medication intake, which can result in high blood pressure (Edwards & DiPette, 2019). However, the risk of hypertension development can be significantly reduced by proper education of patients.
Nursing staff can educate individuals on the necessity of adhering to their treatment plan and provide them with the necessary resources. For example, pillboxes and reminder apps can be helpful in these situations. Moreover, it is vital to consider medication reviews that can assist nurse practitioners in determining whether the right prescription and dosage were used. The outcomes can be evaluated by collecting and comparing the patient’s current blood pressure levels with the target levels.
Lifestyle Modifications
Lifestyle modification is another intervention that can be especially helpful for patients with certain conditions. This intervention can involve both physical exercise and a proper diet that would take into account the patient’s nutritional needs (Edwards & DiPette, 2019). A nurse practitioner can incorporate this intervention through education.
Similarly to the first intervention, the professional can explain the importance of healthy dietary habits and physical activity. Then, the patient can be offered resources such as tracking apps to see patterns in physical exercise or diet adherence. In the same way, as with medication adherence, the outcomes can be measured by comparing current and target blood pressure results.
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
Lastly, it is essential to use such an intervention as home blood pressure monitoring. Patient education is vital since every individual should know the consequences of a negligent approach to one’s health. A nurse practitioner should educate patients on such consequences as heart, stroke, or heart failure (Edwards & DiPette, 2019). However, monitoring blood pressure at home can help one determine the levels at which it is high or regular and find manageable ways to control it.
Similar to the first and second interventions, resources, such as reminder and tracker apps, can help one monitor their blood pressure and seek help in cases of emergencies or concerns. The results can be compared by collecting data on current and target blood pressure levels. Overall, these interventions can help improve patient outcomes and healthcare cost savings by reducing readmissions and risks of developing cardiovascular diseases (Edwards & DiPette, 2019). Therefore, the ratings of nurse practitioners will improve due to increased patient satisfaction.
Conclusion
Hence, addressing blood pressure performance through interventions, including medication adherence, lifestyle changes, and at-home blood pressure monitoring, might help enhance patients’ outcomes. First, by providing patients with the necessary information regarding medication adherence, the risk of developing hypertension can be considerably decreased.
Lifestyle change is another intervention that may benefit people with certain diseases. Exercise and a healthy diet that takes into consideration the patient’s nutritional demands can both be included in this strategy. Finally, it is critical to consider interventions such as at-home blood pressure monitoring. Finding reasonable strategies to control blood pressure can be aided by home blood pressure monitoring, which can be used to identify both high and normal blood pressure levels.
Reference
Edwards, E. W., & DiPette, D. (2019). Hypertension: A Case-Based Approach. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Pvt. Limited.