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Table 2 AchieveBP patient education kiosk modules

From: Patient education and follow-up as an intervention for hypertensive patients discharged from an emergency department: a randomized control trial study protocol

Session

Module/Topic

Content example

1. Baseline

Blood Pressure and Hypertension Definitions

"Hypertension" is the medical term for high blood pressure. A person with high blood pressure is sometimes described as "hypertensive."

Essential vs. Secondary Hypertension

Normal blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 120 or less. "Systolic" is the top number in a blood pressure reading.

Systolic and Diastolic Normal Readings

2. Seven Day

Hypertension Risk Factors

High blood pressure has many risk factors. Some you can't control. Family history - High blood pressure tends to run in families.

Other risk factors for high blood pressure are within your control: Too much sodium (salt) in your diet which can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.

3. Thirty Day

Tobacco and Alcohol Use

If you drink more than moderate amounts of it, alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications.

Caffeine Use

Cut back on caffeine. The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debatable. Drinking caffeinated beverages can temporarily cause a spike in your blood pressure, but it's unclear whether the effect is temporary or long lasting.

4. Ninety Day

BP Complications

Hypertension is frequently called the "silent killer" because it rarely causes symptoms. This is dangerous because untreated hypertension can lead to strokes, heart attacks, kidney disease, and vision loss.

Complications of Uncontrolled Blood Pressure

Very high blood pressure is dangerous. You should call your Healthcare Provider anytime day or night, if your resting systolic blood pressure is over 180 or your resting diastolic blood pressure is over 110.