Hypertension Improvement in Blood Pressure

RETIRED REVIEW: This measure has been retired by the measure steward or is not relevant to internal medicine. This measure will not be re-reviewed by the PMC.

Percentage of patients aged 18-85 years of age with a diagnosis of hypertension whose blood pressure improved during the measurement period.

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2017
Do Not Support: Uncertain Validity
    Group/Practice Individual Clinician

Measure Info

MIPS 373 CMS 373
Measure Type
Intermediate Outcome
Measure Steward
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Clinical Topic Area
Hypertension
Care Setting
Outpatient
Data Source
Electronic Health Records

ACP does not support QPP measure 373: "Hypertension: Improvement in Blood Pressure." While implementation may lead to measurable and meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes, implementation could also promote overuse of pharmacologic therapy in patients aged 60 years and older whose blood pressure is adequately controlled as defined by the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) recommendations. JNC-8 defines “adequate control” as <150/90 mmHg for patients aged 60 years and older. While some aspects of the specifications are flawed, the denominator is adequately specified to account for appropriate improvements in BP measurements in patients who cannot safely achieve SBP <140/90 mmHg (i.e., frail, elderly adults, patients with comorbid disease).