Check it. Change it. Control it. Your Heart Depends on It.
In Ohio, African American men and women have the highest stroke mortality rates of any racial/ethnic group. In response to this statewide health crisis, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), designed a two-part outreach plan aimed to improve cultural sensitivity and communication skills among primary care physicians and a point-of-care patient information package for African-Americans who are at risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
The campaign, branded as “Check It. Change It. Control It. Your Heart Depends on It.” offers and the tools created include a physician guide, patient brochure, helpful tip sheets, and a high-tech app developed for Apple and Android platforms. All materials were developed by Ohio family physicians and are free for physicians and their patients.
Physician Guides
- Reduce High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol for Your African-American Patients
- Reduce High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol for Your African-American Male Patients
Patient Education Toolkits
- Family Focused Toolkit: African-American Family Toolkit for High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol
- Male Focused Toolkit: African-American Male Toolkit for High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol
Proper Technique for Measuring Blood Pressure
The OAFP, in partnership with the ODH, Ryan Kauffman, MD, and staff at Oakhill Medical Associates, and with the creative talents of Benjamin Romney, MD, created a video on how to appropriately measure blood pressure in a practice setting.
We encourage you to use the following video to train office staff, students, residents, and physicians new to the practice so that the entire team may learn a similar technique:
This video was supported by Grant Number 2B01OT009042, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.
If you have any questions about the “Check it. Change it. Control it. Your Heart Depends on It.” campaign, please contact Deputy Executive Vice President Kate Mahler, CAE, or call 800.742.7327.