Patient use of blood pressure self-screening facilities in general practice waiting rooms: a qualitative study in the
Alice C Tompson1, Sabrina Grant2, Sheila M Greenfield3
1Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford.
Insights
Blood pressure self-screening in UK GP waiting rooms is acceptable. Increased awareness and education can promote its use for hypertension detection and management, offering an alternative to home monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Cardiovascular Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Blood pressure (BP) self-screening offers potential for increased hypertension detection and treatment.
- Current BP self-screening opportunities in the UK are primarily located in GP waiting rooms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore public motivations for using or not using BP self-screening facilities.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to BP self-screening adoption.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 30 members of the general public in Oxfordshire, UK.
- Participants were recruited via posters in GP surgeries and community locations.
- Interview data were thematically coded.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of participants had self-screened; 20% were hypertensive.
- Reasons for self-screening included passing time, aiding doctors, avoiding 'white coat syndrome', and gaining control.
- Barriers included lack of awareness, technique uncertainty, and public place concerns.
- Some preferred waiting room monitoring over home monitoring.
Conclusions:
- BP self-screening is perceived as acceptable by users.
- Enhanced promotion and education are needed to increase awareness and uptake.
- Waiting room BP monitors can serve as a viable alternative for patients unable or unwilling to monitor at home.
Background:
Blood pressure (BP) self-screening, whereby members of the public have access to BP monitoring equipment outside of healthcare consultations, may increase the detection and treatment of hypertension. Currently in the UK such opportunities are largely confined to GP waiting rooms.
Aim:
To investigate the reasons why people do or do not use BP self-screening facilities.
Design And Setting:
A cross-sectional, qualitative study in Oxfordshire, UK.
Method:
Semi-structured interviews with members of the general public recruited using posters in GP surgeries and community locations were recorded, transcribed, and coded thematically.
Results:
Of the 30 interviewees, 20% were hypertensive and almost half had self-screened. Those with no history of elevated readings had limited concern over their BP: self-screening filled the time waiting for their appointment or was done to help their doctor. Patients with hypertension self-screened to avoid the feelings they associated with 'white coat syndrome' and to introduce more control into the measurement process. Barriers to self-screening included a lack of awareness, uncertainty about technique, and worries over measuring BP in a public place. An unanticipated finding was that several interviewees preferred monitoring their BP in the waiting room than at home.
Conclusion:
BP self-screening appeared acceptable to service users. Further promotion and education could increase awareness among non-users of the need for BP screening, the existence of self-screening facilities, and its ease of use. Waiting room monitors could provide an alternative for patients with hypertension who are unwilling or unable to monitor at home.
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