Given that one in three U.S. adults has hypertension, nearly all physicians face the challenge of helping their patients control their blood pressure. But addressing hypertension effectively in practice can be difficult. Learn the barriers to hypertension control and what you can do to address them in your practice. Five common barriers to hypertension control are: Poor or inconsistent blood pressure measurement techniques “White coat effect,” which causes a temporary elevation in a patient’s blood pressure during an office visit in a person with normal blood pressure outside of the office Clinical inertia, which occurs when the care team does not initiate or intensify treatment during an office visit if the patient’s blood pressure isn’t at a goal level, or fails to schedule frequent follow up when indicated Lack of use of evidence-based treatment protocols by the care team Poor patient participation in self-management behaviors Source
