Home blood pressure monitoring: point-of-care testing

To review the literature regarding point-of-care blood pressure monitoring and describe its role in pharmacy practice.

Primary articles were identified by a MEDLINE search (1966-May 2003); references cited in these articles provided additional resources.

All articles identified from this search were reviewed and all information deemed relevant was included in this article.

Hypertension is a well-established risk factor for coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US. The use of at-home blood pressure monitors may help improve identification and management of this disorder. Pharmacists may use many of these devices in their practice and are also in an ideal position to provide patient education on the selection and use of these monitors, as well as interpretation of results.

The availability of at-home blood pressure devices has considerably increased in recent years and likely will continue to do so. Based on currently available but limited data, fully automated or semiautomated upper-arm devices are preferred over wrist- or finger-cuff devices. These devices are best suited for screening and monitoring only and should not be used for diagnosis. Although such devices are potentially cost-effective, there is presently insufficient evidence to support the notion that their use can replace routine office monitoring.