Thursday, July 27, 2017

Training in ABPM, the “Renal Biopsy” of Hypertension


24 hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) is the gold-standard for diagnosing sustained, white coat, and masked hypertension. It’s a better predictor of cardiovascular events than office readings and carries a Grade A recommendation by the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF).
The evidence is unequivocal and yet not all nephrologists perform ABPMs.  Fellows have even less exposure to implementation, interpretation, and reimbursement.
Last year, Raymond Townsend of U Penn and Daichi Shimbo of Columbia-Presbyterian created a course to address the above deficiencies. In addition to reviewing the evidence and billing aspects, the course focuses on practical considerations such as learning about the software and monitoring protocols, and correctly educating the patient on the dos/don’ts while wearing the monitor. The hands-on session allows attendees to familiarize themselves with the various models and wear an ABPM for the afternoon.
After attending last year, I not only gained a deeper understanding of ABPM but now have a resource for future questions. This year’s course (1 day) will be held on Monday, September 11th, in San Antonio, TX. 
I have no financial or formal relationship with the organizers.
Hillel Sternlicht, MD

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your experience. I thought nephrologists are allowed to order and read ABPM but from your post it seems that there is a required certificate or training to do that. is that what you found out during the workshop? thanks again.