🎯Three Phases · One Force Field
Every square belongs to one of three phases of mastery. Inside each square's detail panel, the four sections — Concepts · Skills · Actions · Plan — are the building blocks of these phases. Read each square with that ladder in mind.
📘 Learn It Tier 1 · Aware
Identity earned: Self-Advocate. The "know" — head knowledge, definitions, mental model of SCD and its red flags.
🛠 Live It Tier 2 · Active
Identity earned: Care-Team Member. The "do" — daily skills you can demonstrate and this-week actions that turn skills into habits.
📣 Share It Tier 3 · Certified
Identity earned: Ambassador. The "carry forward" — long-arc plan, teaching, mentoring, sharing insights with clinicians, advocacy.
🛡️Your Force Field — 16 Squares
Click any square to open its detail panel. Each square is a tile in your shield. Keep clicking, learning, and acting — your Force Field gets stronger every step.
What Is Hypertension?
Persistently high blood pressure. Stage 1 = 130–139/80–89. Stage 2 = ≥140/90. Hypertensive crisis = ≥180/120. Most people feel nothing — that's why it's called the silent killer.
Primer360 Human Anatomy
Cardiovascular
Heart → arteries → brain, kidneys, eyes. HTN is a vessel disease that quietly damages every downstream organ until something gives way.
AnatomyWho Gets It?
Almost half of U.S. adults. Risk rises with age, weight, salt, alcohol, sleep apnea, family history. African Americans develop HTN earlier and more severely than other groups.
PrimerThe Numbers
~122M U.S. adults. #1 modifiable risk factor for stroke and heart attack. Only ~25% have BP under control. About 80% of strokes are preventable with good HTN management.
PrimerKnow My Numbers
HTN is diagnosed by multiple readings, not one. Know your typical home BP, your goal (often <130/80), your "white coat" pattern, and how to take a correct reading.
Learn ItMaster Meds & Cuff
5 main drug classes: ACE/ARB, calcium-channel blocker, thiazide diuretic, beta-blocker, others. Most people need 2+. A validated upper-arm home BP cuff is part of the kit.
Learn ItSpot Red Flags Early
BP ≥180/120 · sudden severe headache · vision changes · chest pain · weakness/numbness (FAST stroke) · trouble breathing. Hypertensive urgency vs emergency — know the difference.
Learn ItLifestyle Force Field
DASH-style eating · sodium <2300 mg/day · 150 min/week movement · 7+ hours sleep · alcohol moderation · stress & breathing skills · weight loss. Each lever moves BP measurably.
Learn ItMake Every Visit Count
Bring your home BP log (2 weeks of morning + evening readings). List 3 questions. Do teach-back. Ask: "What's my goal?" "If you were me, what would you do?" Map next steps.
Live ItCare Team Members
Primary care, cardiologist (if needed), care management RN, pharmacist, dietitian/RD, behavioral health, sleep medicine if OSA. A peer mentor with HTN experience.
Live ItTelemedicine & Tech
Video visits for routine BP review, MyChart messages with home BP log, validated home cuff, BP tracking apps, wearables for sleep + activity. Most HTN visits can be virtual.
TechInsurance & Cost
Most HTN meds are cheap generics. Medicare Annual Wellness Visit covers BP. Co-pay help via NeedyMeds, RxAssist, manufacturer programs. FMLA/ADA for severe HTN affecting work.
Live ItEquity & the SCD Intersection
HTN hits African Americans earlier and harder. AA patients with both SCD and HTN face the highest preventable-stroke burden in U.S. populations. Ask if your team is aware of comorbid risk.
Share ItTeach, Mentor, Ambassador
Teach your kids and partner their numbers. Run a home-BP coffee hour. Mentor a newly-diagnosed neighbor. Speak at church, employer, community center.
Share ItShare Insights with Clinicians
Bring data. Write a short "what worked, what didn't, what we learned" letter. Help train residents on home BP technique. Patient stories change practice.
Share ItJoin the ROI Study
PHIT — Population Health Impact Tracking. Aggregate & anonymous. Help prove this program reduces strokes, ED visits, and total cost of care for HTN populations.
Study🩺 Hand-off to my Clinician
Print and bring to your next visit. This page tells your care team what you have prepared for, what you want to focus on, and how you would like to participate as an active member of the team.
- I am a Prepared Patient in training for Hypertension. I have reviewed all 16 squares of this Force Field Fact Sheet.
- I have started building my Health Passport, my Red Flag list, and my 2-week home BP log to bring to every visit.
- I want to teach back what I have learned and have you correct anything I have misunderstood — especially around my BP goal, my med plan, and when to call vs. when to go to the ED.
What helps my visit
Two minutes for me to teach back. One question I prepared. My home BP log on my phone. Confirm my goal BP on the chart.
What I am working on
Hitting my BP goal · medication adherence · DASH-style eating · home cuff technique · sleep / sleep apnea screen · stroke-risk awareness (especially if I also have SCD or diabetes).
How I want to participate
Shared decisions. Full med list before changes. Tell me your top 1–2 priorities so we agree. Use the AHRQ SHARE Approach. Help me see my numbers, not just my prescription.
🔬 Help Prove This Works — Join the FFH ROI & PHIT Study
The Prepared Patient program is being studied to see whether better preparation actually reduces ER visits, hospital stays, and total cost of care — for you and for the people in your circle of influence. Your participation is voluntary, your data is aggregated and anonymized, and you can withdraw at any time.
➕ Add-On Force Field Card · Device or Skill Mastery
If your care plan adds a medical device or new skill, bolt on a 5-step Add-On Card. For HTN common bolt-ons include: home BP cuff mastery (validated upper-arm), DASH-style meal planning, sodium tracking app, exercise prescription, CPAP onboarding (if sleep apnea), MyChart messaging, weekly weight log.
Introduce
What it is, why it matters, what it does
Coach
Watch a demo + walk-through
Practice
Do it with a coach watching
Train
Use it daily with a check-in
Test
Demonstrate competence + earn badge
Ready to go deeper?
The Prepared Patient · Hypertension course turns this fact sheet into a guided journey: pre/post knowledge checks, teach-back, home BP cuff training, badge tests, and your printable Health Passport. Earn Aware → Active → Certified.