HP 609: Antihypertensive Medications and Global Health

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Antihypertensive medications and global health

Despite advancements in therapy for cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, the disease remains a major public health concern in America.  While some may argue that hypertension diagnosis and treatment technology have improved in recent years, poorly managed hypertension and its complications remain one of the primary causes of deaths not only in America but also other countries in the world. Non-compliance is a prevalent issue that can be either intentional or unintentional. However, effective drug therapy management and significant lifestyle changes can lower the chance of developing hypertension.

Hypertension in America

Despite growing knowledge of the need of blood pressure regulation, the prevalence of hypertension is rising in the United States of America. Individuals should be aware that the rising prevalence of obesity and aging are key contributors to the rise in hypertension prevalence. It’s also important to remember that race and weight are key predictors of hypertension. According to NHANES studies, almost 80% of people with hypertension are overweight (Himmelfarb et al., 2016). Blacks have the highest prevalence rate, at 46 percent, compared to 29 percent for Hispanics, 32 percent for whites, and 33 percent for other ethnic groups. According to studies, the main causes for the increased prevalence of hypertension among certain ethnic groups are poorer levels of education and annual income, as well as more difficulty in accessing healthcare compared to whites and other ethnic groups.

Hypertension in Canada

In Canada, hypertension is a prevalent and well-known cause of early disability and mortality. Unlike in the United States, where the majority of people are uninformed of their hypertension status, studies reveal that with the establishment of the Canadian Hypertension Education Program, a considerable percentage of the Canadian population is aware of their condition. The program features an extensive knowledge translation approach to help healthcare workers embrace and execute evidence-based hypertension management strategies (Himmelfarb et al., 2016). According to the studies, after the implementation of a nationwide program to educate healthcare professionals on the management of hypertension, the rate of growth in the diagnosis of hypertension and prescription of hypertension pharmacological therapy nearly doubled. As a result, one could argue that, having recognized the severity of the country’s blood pressure problem, Canadians have devised strategies to combat the epidemic. These projects show that community- and pharmacy-based programs for the prevention and management of may be implemented in Canada with both practicality and advantages.

Why individuals fail to adhere to hypertension medication

Gascon et al., 2014 investigated why people from different parts of the world fail to follow hypertension treatment guidelines. Non-compliant individuals who were diagnosed with and treated for hypertension were also included in the study (Najjuma et al., 2020). On the other hand, these people were supposed to be between the ages of 18 and 80, be on antihypertensive medication for at least three months, be noncompliant and have good physical and mental health. It’s also worth noting that the study made good use of a telephone survey to figure out how non-adherent these people were.

Based on the researchers discovered that people were concerned about long-term antihypertensive drug use and the risk of being stuck on it for the remainder of their lives due to the study. Antihypertensives were thought to be harmful and destructive for the body in many circumstances, eliciting negative sentiments in many people. Most participants were concerned about pharmacological side effects (Schoenthaler et al., 2017). The researchers also discovered comments indicating that the information on drugs presented in booklets was alarming and challenging to comprehend. As a result, the researchers found that some patients believed it was completely okay to skip a dose now and again and that others acknowledged not always taking their medication as prescribed. Sometimes it was simply because they forgot, especially if the medication had to be taken at set times throughout the day. They also discovered that many patients considered medication used to be conditional on the symptoms they were experiencing. Alternatively, high blood pressure did not seem to bother patients, and it was frequently coupled with specific well-known familiar symptoms, as though their absence proved that blood pressure was in control. A considerable proportion of patients also expressed dissatisfaction with the length of the consultation (Schoenthaler et al., 2017). They reported that little time was spent informing; in fact, they claimed that most of the consultation time was spent simply getting the prescription. In line with this, there was an impression that the doctor was always busy, which was started in several situations.

Role of nurses in hypertension management

The significance of nurses in improving hypertension control in America has been recognized in public and professional education for the last few decades. Individuals must understand that the duty of nurses begins with hypertension measurement and monitoring, as well as patient education. Nurses play an increasingly important role in today’s world, particularly in developing countries, as the number of people suffering from hypertension rises (Himmelfarb et al., 2016). Nurses are involved in all parts of hypertension care, including identification, referral, and follow-up, as well as patient education, counseling, and skill development, as well as diagnostics and drug administration.

Detection, referral, and follow-up

In the majority of healthcare facilities around the world, nurses are actively involved in routinely measuring hypertension using the best measurement methodologies. This is a regular aspect of their evaluations of each patient. They also go to venues like churches and schools to assess persons who are afflicted. The nurse analyzes the data after measuring and recording blood pressure to determine whether the values are within the normal or hypertensive range as prescribed by the site protocol. Patients are sent to urgent care depending on the severity of their disease (Himmelfarb et al., 2016). Nurses are critical in the implementation of referrals as well as in teaching patients about the purpose and necessity of referrals. Nurses undertake follow-up between visits by telephone and other digital tactics to ensure that the patients’ health does not decline. Following up on missed appointments is critical to maintaining contact with the patient and reinforcing the necessity of meeting blood pressure targets.

Medication Management and Diagnostics

Nurses are critical in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. They meticulously follow the national treatment requirements while performing their tasks. As a result, they prescribe and titrate drugs to help people manage their blood pressure (Himmelfarb et al., 2016). According to studies, good nurse-driven hypertension therapy is critical in reducing the prevalence of hypertension in various parts of the world. Individuals should be aware, however, that the stated improvements are the result of nurses prescribing more medicines in response to poor blood pressure control.

Patient education, counseling, and skill development

In the majority of hypertension treatment settings, nurses can give the necessary information, counseling, and skill development to guarantee that patients are adopting healthy lifestyle changes. Nurses can actively involve patients in their treatment by employing a variety of tactics to avoid and address adherence issues, resulting in improved long-term adherence and hypertension control (Himmelfarb et al., 2016). It’s vital to remember that while patient education and knowledge are vital, they are insufficient to achieve desirable results without the development of skills.  The fundamental goal is for the patients to acquire skills like information, to follow treatment instructions and manage blood pressure.

Individuals must recognize that the patient-provider connection can play a critical role in providing an optimal opportunity to resolve patient noncompliance with hypertension treatment in America. This is because a provider’s communication abilities might account for up to half of the patient’s treatment. According to recent studies, including aspects of shared decision making and patient-centeredness has been linked to improved medication adherence among patients with hypertension.

Spies et al., 2018, did additional research to demonstrate the impact of nurse-led interventions in enhancing access to care and their effectiveness. Using the study’s findings, one may conclude that nurse-led hypertension therapies are both successful and cost-effective. In the study, task shifting was a practical approach for improving patient access to care and addressing community health needs (Spies et al., 2018). To improve population outcomes and meet the SDGs, nurses can be deployed for screening and education and their competency as primary care providers. The researchers advised concentrated NCD education for nurses and improved regulatory support for nurse-led initiatives to encourage nurse mobilization. Nursing research is also essential to aid in developing scalable, long-term solutions to the NCD epidemic.

Dhar et al., 2017, did a study to evaluate factors that can motivate people in the United States to take their hypertension medicine. The target demographic was primarily made up of people from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The researchers discovered aspects such as demographic and psychosocial characteristics as a result of their investigation (Dhar et al., 2017). In India, MNA to hypertensive medicines was found to be strongly linked with younger age. According to studies, individuals with a low socioeconomic position in Africa were also found to adhere to medication. According to a qualitative study conducted in Congo, some family members believe the hypertension patient brought the problem on themselves (Dhar et al., 2017). According to the study’s findings, over half of hypertensive men and women do not follow their medications. However, governments and healthcare providers must consider these aspects when designing culturally relevant intervention techniques to improve hypertension patients’ adherence.

Conclusively, hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in America. Although individuals know about the severity of the condition, only a small number of individuals seek medical attention. Demographic beliefs are one of the reasons why individuals do not adhere to hypertension medication. However, researchers have discovered that automated messages can be essential in encouraging people to seek medical attention.

References

Dhar, L., Earnest, J., & Ali, M. (2017). A systematic review of factors influencing medication adherence to hypertension treatment in developing countries. Open Journal of Epidemiology, 7(03), 211-250.

Himmelfarb, C. R. D., Commodore-Mensah, Y., & Hill, M. N. (2016). Expanding the role of nurses to improve hypertension care and control globally. Annals of Global Health, 82(2), 243-253.

Najjuma, J. N., Brennaman, L., Nabirye, R. C., Ssedyabane, F., Maling, S., Bajunirwe, F., & Muhindo, R. (2020). Adherence to Antihypertensive Medication: An Interview Analysis of Southwest Ugandan Patients’ Perspectives. Annals of Global Health, 86(1).

Schoenthaler, A., Knafl, G. J., Fiscella, K., & Ogedegbe, G. (2017). Addressing the social needs of hypertensive patients: the role of patient–provider communication as a predictor of medication adherence. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 10(9), e003659.

Spies, L. A., Bader, S. G., Opollo, J. G., & Gray, J. (2018). Nurse‐Led interventions for hypertension: A scoping review with implications for Evidence‐Based practice. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 15(4), 247-256.

Assignment Topic:
Lack of medication adherence to antihypertensive medications to global health
Subject:
Nursing
Sources:
5 sources required
Citation Style:
APA 7th edition
Description

The paper must be linked to global health initiative interventions related to nursing.  Rubric attached and should needs to be followed. I have also attached instructions for example no more than 3 quotes may be used. I am attaching articles pre approved if any others may be used they must be less than 5 years old and peer reviewed from a nursing journal. The WHO and CDC websites may also be used.