I need help to "devlop a preliminary care coordination plan for a selected health care problem"

Preliminary Care Coordination Plan Amanda Renfro Capella University NHS-FPX4050: Coordinating Patient-Centered Care Prof. Gina Causey August 14, 2023

Preliminary Care Coordination Plan

"Care coordination" refers to the process through which all those engaged in a patient's care work together to ensure a better, more efficient outcome. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to anticipate the patient's needs and preferences, communicate these to the appropriate staff members at the appropriate times, and then use this information to provide care that is both effective and safe. Care coordination can be accomplished in one of two ways: through broad strategies designed to improve healthcare delivery or more specific activities geared toward care coordination. Care coordination aims to improve healthcare delivery quality, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness for all parties involved (Care Coordination, 2018).

Physical, Psychological, and Cultural Consequences of Hypertension

When pressure in the arteries is chronically too high, the heart has to work harder to pump blood, resulting in hypertension. Hypertension is commonly defined as blood pressure greater than 130/80 mmHg, and a hypertensive crisis is defined as blood pressure greater than 180/20 mmHg. Men are more likely to suffer from hypertension than women (Brown, 2022). High blood pressure, often known as hypertension, is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Over ten million fatalities a year are attributed to hypertension. Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy 120/80 will greatly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney disease (Bhagavathula et al., 2021).

Goals for Hypertension

Hypertension can be reduced or eliminated by controlling the risk factors that contribute to it. The initial and most significant step is to take frequent blood pressure readings at home and record them in a journal or notepad to bring to doctor's visits. Automatic blood pressure cuffs are one method that can be used to monitor a patient's blood pressure. These cuffs are sold in most pharmacies, on the internet, in specific doctor's offices, and even through community outreach programs that target hypertension. The subsequent phases in hypertension treatment are weight maintenance, regular exercise, and dietary regulation. Those who suffer from hypertension are advised to cut back on salt and fat, a healthy diet includes less than 30 percent fat and no more than 2 grams of salt daily. Remember that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are preferable to saturated fats for most of your fat intake. This entails reducing the consumption of "fast food," fried foods, whole dairy items like milk and butter, fatty meats, standard salad dressings, and salty snacks. Proper diet and exercise regularly can lead to a healthy weight. Walking swiftly, engaging in swimming, playing tennis, or dancing all count as aerobic activity, and the American Heart Association recommends engaging in 150 minutes of such activity per week.

Other lifestyle changes that can help manage hypertension and reduce the risk of heart disease include cutting back on alcohol use, avoiding tobacco use, and learning better to manage emotions like anxiety, stress, and anger. According to the American Heart Association, men should not have more than two drinks daily, while women should not have more than one. The CDC reports that smoking raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 2 to 4. (CDC-Fact Sheet, 2020). In addition to diet and exercise, managing anxiety, stress, and anger can significantly impact blood pressure. Hormones like cortisol are released in response to stress, contributing to elevated blood pressure. Breathing exercises, physical activity, yoga, meditation, time management, and regular rest can help with these feelings. (Stress and high blood pressure, 2022).

Mediation is the next best option when hypertension remains uncontrolled despite lifestyle improvements. First-line therapies for this illness include four different types of medications. High blood pressure medications fall into four categories: ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics (High blood pressure, 2021). Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that causes vasoconstriction and hypertension, and ACE inhibitors function by blocking the enzyme that makes this hormone. Lisinopril, enalapril, and captopril are all examples of drugs in this category (High blood pressure, 2021). Like angiotensin II-inhibiting drugs function, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) prevent certain angiotensin II from binding at receptors in blood vessels. Metoprolol, Valsartan, and Losartan are all examples of medications in this category. Calcium channel blockers obstruct calcium's entry into heart and vascular muscle cells. The electrolyte calcium plays a crucial role in muscular contraction and relaxation. By preventing some calcium from reaching the blood arteries and heart, relaxation is maintained in those tissues. Nifedipine, amlodipine, and diltiazem are examples of medications in this category (High blood pressure, 2021). Last but not least, diuretics cause kidneys to eliminate extra sodium and water, lowering total body fluid and blood volume. Furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide are examples of drugs in this category (High blood pressure, 2021).

Community Resources for Hypertension

Now more than ever, hypertension patients have access to much information. The websites of organizations like the CDC and the AHA, for instance, include substantial resources for diagnosing, evaluating, and managing hypertension. There are lifestyle change quizzes, food-specific salt content quizzes, and pages on modifiable risk factors. To help underprivileged people of color and others with financial hurdles access care, the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a website called Million Hearts. The site also features how-to tips for both healthy cooking and exercise. In addition to the information that can be found on the internet, people suffering from hypertension also have access to physical resources that can be found in many centralized areas. Free hypertension and cardiovascular disease tests, digital blood pressure monitors, multilingual and literacy-appropriate material, and videos are all part of the American Society of Hypertension's (ASH) Hypertension Community Outreach program (Ferdinand et al., 2016).

Conclusion

Patients with high blood pressure need to be educated and cared for in a well-coordinated way regularly to avoid future problems linked to high blood pressure. Modifications to one's diet and way of life are successful in treating and decreasing blood pressure if the patient is consistent. Medication may be recommended if a patient's hypertension cannot be controlled with lifestyle changes alone. Patients need access to community resources such as wellness centers and gyms in their area and informational materials such as booklets and websites to understand better and treat their illnesses.

References

Bhagavathula, A. S., Shah, S. M., Suliman, A., Oulhaj, A., & Aburawi, E. H. (2021). Hypertension control and guideline-recommended target blood pressure goal achievement at an early stage of hypertension in the UAE. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11010047

Brown, S. (2022). PICO(T) Questions and Evidence-Based Approach. Unpublished manuscript.

Care coordination. AHRQ. (2018, August). Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/care/coordination.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, December 10). CDC - Fact Sheet - Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking - Smoking & Tobacco Use. Smoking and Tobacco Use. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

Ferdinand, K. C., Patterson, K. P., Taylor, C., Fergus, I. V., Nasser, S. A., & Ferdinand, D. P. (2016). Community-Based Approaches to Prevention and Management of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 14(5), 336–343. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7176.2012.00622.x

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Causes and Symptoms. (2021). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4314-hypertension-high-bloodpressure#:~:text=Hypertension%3A%20Strategies%20to%20Control%20It%201%20Reach%20and

Stress and high blood pressure: What’s the connection? (2022). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/stress-and-high-blood-pressure/art-20044190#:~:text=Your%20body%20produces%20a%20surge%20of%20hormones%20when