The Hypertension Canada Professional Certification Program (PCP) is designed to arm primary healthcare professionals with the knowledge and confidence to identify and manage patients with hypertension.
The Hypertension Canada Professional Certification Program (PCP) is designed to arm primary healthcare professionals with the knowledge and confidence to identify and manage patients with hypertension.
Graduates of the program can use the post-nominal letters HC-CHM (Certified in Hypertension Management) after their name for the duration of the certification.
Provide the knowledge and confidence to identify and manage patients with hypertension
Use practical application and skill-building to implement hypertension management strategies at the primary care level.
Provide evidence-based learning with a goal to improve guidelines adoption and adherence
Please note: These educational programs are currently only offered in English
The full Professional Certification Program consists of:
4 online learning modules
Comprehension testing
Demonstration of blood pressure measurement technique
Use of a hypertension registry to assist in patient management
Submission of three patient cases for evaluation and feedback by hypertension experts
The learning modules encompass the fundamentals of hypertension, epidemiology and pathophysiology of hypertension, screening, diagnosis, as well as pharmacological and non-pharmacological management. The modules are self-paced to allow clinicians the flexibility to work according to their individual schedules, with comprehension testing and access to a suite of practical tools and resources.
The blood pressure measurement submission provides clinicians with the opportunity to demonstrate and be assessed on their accurate procedure and technique when taking a blood pressure measurement. Clinicians will have access to a registry through this program to assist in their patient management.
For the final examination, clinicians will apply the competencies learned in the previous modules to submit three of their own patient cases from the registry. These cases will be reviewed for feedback and evaluation by a hypertension expert. The HC-PCP encompasses the fundamentals of hypertension and application into practice, and it is ideal for those looking for mastering their hypertension management practice.
Once clinicians have completed and passed the program, they will receive certification in hypertension management and will be able to use post-nominals HC-CHM (Certified in Hypertension Management).
Pharmacists: The full Professional Certification Program is accredited for 30 CEUs as an independent study program by the Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy (CCCEP) (expiry May 7, 2025).
Time Commitment: There is no deadline to complete the program, but for most students it takes 16-weeks, approximately 30-35 hours.
Level 1 of the Hypertension Canada Professional Certification Program consists of:
4 online learning modules
Comprehension testing
Demonstration of blood pressure measurement technique
The Hypertension Fundamentals program encompasses the fundamentals of hypertension and is ideal for those looking for enhancing their knowledge and understanding of hypertension.
Note: Hypertension Fundamentals is Level 1 of the Professional Certification Program and does not include the use of a registry, evaluation by a hypertension expert, and certification in hypertension management.
Time commitment: There is no deadline to complete the program, but for most students it takes approximately 15 hours.
Level 2 of the Hypertension Canada Professional Certification Program consists of:
Use of a hypertension registry to assist in patient management.
Submission of three patient cases for evaluation and feedback by hypertension experts.
The Hypertension Mastery and Application program allows clinicians to demonstrate practical application of the knowledge and competencies acquired in the Hypertension Fundamentals program, using real-world cases and a final examination facilitated by a hypertension expert.
Once clinicians have completed and passed the program, they will receive certification in hypertension management and will be able to use post-nominals HC-CHM (Certified in Hypertension Management).
Note: The Hypertension Mastery and Application program is only available for those that have successfully completed the HC-PCP Level 1 – Hypertension Fundamentals.
Time commitment: There is no deadline to complete the program, but for most students it takes approximately 20 hours.