A new campaign launched Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is galvanizing patients to take control of their health by taking advantage of covered preventive services. You can use this opportunity to talk to your patients about improving their health outcomes as well.
The “Healthy Self” campaign, a joint effort between the White House and HHS, seeks to make patients aware of the preventive services that are covered by their health plans under the Affordable Care Act. There are 17 preventive care benefits for adults, including screenings for high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, diet counseling for patients at higher risk for chronic disease, and obesity screening and counseling.
The campaign also is asking patients to commit to making their health a priority by posting a #HealthySelfie on social media. Suggested shots include getting exercise, choosing healthy food options and heading to their doctor’s office for preventive care. The White House will share these photos on its Health Care in America Web page.
Help your patients take control of their health and improve their health outcomes by using physician-tested tools in your practice.
Tools you can use
Prevent Diabetes STAT: Screen, Test, Act–Today™, a joint initiative of the AMA and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, can assist your practice in identifying patients with prediabetes and working with them to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Prevent Diabetes STAT™ includes practical information on how to use electronic health record systems to pull information about patients with prediabetes, patient-facing resources, and sample telephone scripts and referral forms.
For patients with hypertension, the M.A.P. framework from the AMA and Johns Hopkins can help you get their high blood pressure under control:
- Measuring blood pressure accurately every time it’s measured
- Acting rapidly to address high blood pressure readings
- Partnering with patients, families and communities to promote self-management of high blood pressure
Get the three checklists (log in) that make up the M.A.P. framework for use in your practice.
Additional resources to help you improve your practice’s hypertension management efforts include:
- The one infographic you need for an accurate blood pressure reading
- Everything you need to know about self-measured blood pressure monitoring
- 3 questions you should ask patients when measuring their blood pressure
- How physicians can help patients manage blood pressure outside of office visits
The AMA’s newly launched STEPS Forward website also offers an interactive educational module to address preventing type 2 diabetes in your practice. Earn continuing medical education (CME) credit and see how to make these tools work for you. Another module shows how to apply the M.A.P. framework to help get your patients’ blood pressures under control.
