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Factors influencing the accuracy of home blood pressure measurement
R D Merrick1, K E Olive, R C Hamdy
1Department of Internal Medicine, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City 37614, USA.
Insights
Many home blood pressure monitoring devices (BPMDs) provide inaccurate readings, with 34% of users in a study obtaining incorrect results. Physician supervision is recommended to ensure accurate blood pressure monitoring at home.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Public Health
Background:
- Hypertension affects millions, necessitating accurate blood pressure monitoring.
- Home blood pressure monitoring devices (BPMDs) are increasingly available for patient use.
- The accuracy of these consumer devices is often assumed but requires validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of home blood pressure monitoring devices (BPMDs) used by patients.
- To evaluate the real-world performance of BPMDs outside of clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted with volunteers using BPMDs to measure blood pressure (BP).
- Accuracy was defined as a difference of 10 mm Hg or less between patient and technician readings for both systolic and diastolic BP.
- 91 patients participated in the accuracy assessment.
Main Results:
- 34% of patients (31 out of 91) obtained inaccurate blood pressure readings.
- Inaccuracy was not linked to device type, cost, user education, or device age.
- A significant portion of home BP measurements may not be reliable.
Conclusions:
- Despite claims of accuracy, a substantial number of inaccurate readings are generated by patients using BPMDs.
- Physician follow-up and supervision are crucial to ensure reliable home BP monitoring.
- Ensuring correlation between home device readings and mercury sphygmomanometer measurements is vital for effective hypertension management.
Background:
Hypertension is a common disorder, affecting approximately 50 million Americans. Because many people have this disorder and its sequela, it is important not only to detect hypertension but also to monitor adequacy of control. Over the past few years, blood pressure monitoring devices (BPMDs) have become available for individuals to measure their blood pressure (BP) in the convenience of their home. These instruments are touted as being accurate.
Methods:
We conducted a study with volunteers who use BPMDs to see how they are used and to assess their accuracy. A BP reading was considered accurate if the differences between the volunteers' and technicians' systolic and diastolic readings were both 10 mm Hg or less.
Results:
Of 91 patients, 31 (34%) obtained inaccurate readings. The inaccuracy could not be attributed to the type of the instrument, the cost of the instrument, the educational level of the user, or the age of the instrument.
Conclusions:
This study shows, despite other studies purporting accuracy, that a significant number of inaccurate readings are obtained by patients using BPMDs. Supervision of their use needs to be incorporated into the physician follow-up to ensure that there is a reasonable correlation between values obtained using the mercury sphygmomanometer and the BPMD.