Care in the Community for Adults
Quality standards are sets of concise statements designed to help health care teams easily and quickly know what care to provide, based on the best evidence.
See below for a summary of the quality standard or download it for more detailed statements.
Download the Quality Standard
Quality Statement 1: Culturally Responsive Care
People with hypertension or at risk for hypertension (and their families and care partners) receive care from health care teams in a health care system that is culturally responsive and free from discrimination and racism. Health care teams work to build trust, address misconceptions about hypertension, remove barriers to accessing care, and provide equitable care.
Quality Statement 2: Accurate Measurement of Blood Pressure
People receive automated office blood pressure measurement when in-office blood pressure measurement is performed.
Quality Statement 3: Out-of-Office Assessment to Confirm a Diagnosis
People with a high in-office blood pressure measurement receive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to confirm a diagnosis of hypertension. Home blood pressure monitoring can be used if ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is not tolerated or not readily available, or if the patient prefers home monitoring.
Quality Statement 4: Health Behaviour Changes
People with hypertension or at risk for hypertension (and their families and care partners) receive information and supports for health behaviour changes that can reduce their blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, including physical exercise, alcohol consumption, diet, sodium and potassium intake, smoking cessation, and stress and weight management.
Quality Statement 5: Care Planning and Self-Management
People with hypertension (and their families and care partners) collaborate with their clinicians and use shared decision-making to create a care plan that includes a target blood pressure range, goals for health behaviour change, medication selection and adherence, recommended diagnostic testing, management of concurrent conditions, and when to follow up.
Quality Statement 6: Monitoring and Follow-Up After a Confirmed Diagnosis
People with hypertension who are actively modifying their health behaviours but not taking blood pressure medication are assessed by their clinician every 3 to 6 months. Shorter intervals (every 1 to 2 months) may be needed for people with higher blood pressure. People who have been prescribed blood pressure medication are assessed every 1 to 2 months until their target blood pressure has been met on 2 consecutive visits, and then every 3 to 6 months.
Quality Statement 7: Improving Adherence to Medications
People who are prescribed blood pressure medication (and their families and care partners) receive information and supports to help them take their medication regularly and as prescribed. At every follow-up visit for hypertension, they have discussions with their clinicians about medication use, possible side effects, and any barriers they experience in taking their medications as prescribed.