Do you have high blood pressure?

Help shape our new project by anonymously sharing your views through a short survey about what it’s like to be a person with high blood pressure – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/STP_2020

About the project

Share The Pressure is a pilot project that will be delivered through a partnership between three organisations: C3 Collaborating for Health, Younger Lives, and Smart Health Solutions. Share the Pressure is part of Project chAnGE – a Europe-wide programme that was established under the European Innovation Partnership Action on Healthy and Active Ageing, in collaboration with Upjohn, a Pfizer division.

Why?

In the UK, approximately 1 in 4 adults has high blood pressure, which is often undetected, and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and vascular dementia. Even when high blood pressure is detected, all too often it is not being effectively managed. Patients must ensure that their preferences – involving both lifestyle and medications changes – are central to any decision making in order to achieve practical, ethical and sustainable change.

What?

The project partners will work collaboratively to create a pilot training programme that will facilitate shared decision making in the management of high blood pressure between nurses, pharmacists, and patients with hypertension.

How?

Engagement with patients and health professionals will explore how risk is communicated. By involving patients that are living with hypertension we will:

• gain a rich understanding of patients’ preferences in how health professionals communicate their blood pressure and cardiovascular risk;
• and explore the concept of ‘Heart Age’.

Health professional engagement with nurses and pharmacists will:

• explore the effectiveness of communicating the impact of lifestyle changes such as physical activity or medication changes using the Heart Age tool.

An online training programme will be developed based upon insights gained from the engagement with patients and health professionals and will be underpinned by the principle of shared decision making. We will also invite relevant blood pressure charities and organisations to support our activities.

Where and when?

Share The Pressure seeks to engage with all nurses or pharmacists that manage and advise patients with hypertension in primary care in England and Ireland. COVID-19 has impacted upon the project initiation, however it is expected to run until Summer 2021.

For more information, contact: sharethepressure@c3health.org