Self-reported practices of doctors and nurses for the measurement of blood pressure

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is one of the most common health problems worldwide and can be diagnosed with an accurate blood pressure measurement (BPM). We aim to evaluate the self-reported practices of family physicians and nurses for BPM.

Methods: This study was conducted in the form of a survey administered through face-to-face interviews with 131 physicians and 371 nurses. The survey included questions about devices, patients, and BPM techniques.

Results: The mean age was 31 ± 7.4 years. The most commonly used device was the aneroid model (47.8%). The majority of participants reported that they had sufficient technical knowledge about the devices (81.1%), and the devices were regularly calibrated (77.5%). Only 44.8% reported that they had asked patients about caffeine or nicotine use. About half of those in both groups (54%) performed BPM only once during a presentation. The most commonly used position during BPM was sitting. BPM was performed mostly on one arm without preference for any side (67.5%). Approximately half of the respondents reported that they performed BPM by actively supporting the arm at the heart level.

Conclusion: We found physicians and nurses had lack of adherence to proper techniques related to the use of appropriate positions and other relevant situations that should be considered during BPM. Accurate BPM is the most important factor for proper diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Thus, BPM should be performed in accordance with the designated guidelines and can be performed with accurate results only as a result of repeated comprehensive training programs.