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Healthcare practitioner views and experiences of patients self-monitoring blood pressure: vignette study

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 08:55 authored by Jacob A Andrews, Kate Weiner, Catherine WillCatherine Will, Flis Henwood, Jon M Dickson
Background Home self-monitoring of blood pressure is widely used in primary care to assist in the diagnosis of hypertension, as well as to improve clinical outcomes and support adherence to medication. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) care pathways for hypertension recommend specific guidelines, although they lack detail on supporting patients to self-monitor. Aim To elicit primary care practitioners’ experiences of managing patients’ home blood pressure self-monitoring, across surgeries located in different socioeconomic areas. Design & setting A qualitative focus group study was conducted with a total of 21 primary care professionals. Method Participants were GPs and practice nurses (PNs), purposively recruited from surgeries in areas of low and high deprivation, according to the English indices of multiple deprivation. Six vignettes were developed featuring data from interviews with people who self-monitor and these were used in five focus groups. Results were thematically analysed. Results Themes derived in the thematic analysis largely reflected topics covered by the vignettes. These included: advice on purchase of a device; supporting home monitoring; mitigating patient anxiety experienced as a result of home monitoring; valuing patients’ data; and effect of socioeconomic factors. Conclusion The work provides an account of methods used by primary care practitioners in the management of home blood pressure self-monitoring, where guidance may be lacking and primary care practitioners act on their own judgement. Findings complement recent policy documentation, which recognises the need to adopt new ways of working to empower patients (for example, additional support from healthcare assistants), but lacks detail on how this should be done.

Funding

Knowledge, care and the practices of self-monitoring; G1940; LEVERHULME TRUST; 142686 - RPG-2015-348

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

BJGP Open

ISSN

2398-3795

Publisher

Royal College of General Practitioners

Issue

5

Volume

4

Page range

1-9

Department affiliated with

  • Sociology and Criminology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-08-03

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2020-11-16

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-11-16

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