Implementing Evidence for practice. Hypertension

Implementing Evidence for Practice
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Implementing Evidence for Practice
Introduction
Hypertension is a disorder characterized by higher than normal blood pressure, and it is one of the leading causes of other diseases such as stroke and various cardiovascular diseases (Lee & Park, 2016). When left uncontrolled, the condition can be fatal (Lee & Park, 2016). Unfortunately, although the disease affects many people around the world, only a few individuals have their blood pressure controlled (Lee & Park, 2016; Monahan et al., 2019). The rate of hypertension control has improved in the past few decades, but the number of people living with uncontrolled hypertension is still high (Monahan et al., 2019). Consequently, a significant number of people suffering from the disorder are at higher risk of developing other ailments such as stroke, kidney failure, and cardiovascular diseases.
Current blood pressure control methods are physical exercise, diet control, and medication, and these interventions can be implemented alone or in combination (Monahan et al., 2019). Hypertension monitoring can be done either in hospitals or at home. In homes, it can be done either through self-monitoring of blood pressure (BP) or through telemonitoring arrangements (Logan et al., 2012; Parati et al., 2018; Sivakumaran & Earle, 2014). Telemonitoring involves health care professionals using information technologies to monitor the state of a patient at a distance without necessarily meeting them, and hypertension is one of the conditions monitored using this method, where professionals use various information technologies to evaluate the levels of blood pressure of a patient and take necessary actions (Duan et al., 2017). The method has been proven cost-effective because the expenses associated with patient travel, time off work, and inpatient services are significantly reduced (Duan et al., 2017). Also, because hypertension is more prevalent in the elderly population who often lack the physical capacity to travel to hospital appointments, this section of the population benefits in particular from telemonitoring (Logan et al., 2012; Sivakumaran & Earle, 2014). Also, the telemonitoring of patients in ambulances enable emergency crews to be better prepared and initiate treatment quickly (Logan et al., 2012). However, the telemonitoring technique has limitations due to the high cost of installing the system and the need for physician licensing (Logan et al., 2012). The other blood pressure control approach is self-monitoring, where the patients or their caregivers are educated on ways to control their blood pressure at home. Similar to telemonitoring, self-monitoring cuts the costs of travel and inpatient services such as bed fees (Duan et al., 2017).
The current study examines these two approaches to hypertension control to determine their effectiveness compared with the usual nursing care and how they can be incorporated into nursing practice. The study examines various scholarly studies related to hypertension control away from clinical settings. Six scholarly articles are comprehensively analysed, and the evidence contained in these studies is used to explain the most appropria...