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Do physicians measure patients’ blood pressure, and are those measurements reliable?

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 32, pages 203–211 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

To determine how and how often blood pressure (BP) measurement is performed in health institutions. The researchers observed whether or not 84 physicians performed BP measurement. Immediately after BP measurement by the physician, this was repeated by the researchers in a manner compatible with HT guidelines. The physicians’ and researchers’ BP measurement results were compared. Physicians measured BP in only 37% (427) of 1130 consecutive patient examinations. None of the physicians “BP measurements were fully compatible with the guidelines” BP measurement recommendations. Physicians who performed measurements determined the same SBP and DBP as the researchers in 34.3% of patients. Hypertension was determined in 18.9% of patients in clinics in which BP measurement was not performed by physicians. Not all physicians in our study measured BP, and the great majority of those who did failed to measure it reliably. We think that it is therefore vitally important for physicians across the world to receive regular, repeated, and effective training in the importance of BP measurement and how to perform it correctly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

    Şükrü Ulusoy

  2. Department of Nephrology, Namık Kemal University, School of Medicine, Tekirdağ, Turkey

    Gülsüm Özkan

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

    Beyhan Güvercin

  4. Department of Cardiology, Hatay Antakya State Hospital, Hatay, Turkey

    Yeliz Sökmen

  5. Department of Nephrology, Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Yunus Erdem

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  1. Şükrü Ulusoy
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Correspondence to Şükrü Ulusoy.

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Ulusoy, Ş., Özkan, G., Güvercin, B. et al. Do physicians measure patients’ blood pressure, and are those measurements reliable?. J Hum Hypertens 32, 203–211 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-018-0032-7

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