Does routine blood pressure screening during general practice visits improve the detection and reduction of raised blood pressure in men aged 35-69 years?
Opportunistic blood pressure screening during routine general practice visits is an effective strategy for identifying and managing undetected hypertension.
Since April 1975 all men aged 35-69 years registered with four general practices in west central Scotland have had their blood pressure checked whenever they visit the surgery. Although the practice locations range from rural to city centre and observers comprise receptionists, nurses, and doctors, a standard procedure has been adopted for the examination, recording, follow-up, and management of high blood pressure. The results confirm that raised blood pressure is common and often goes undetected. Even when hypertension is known, casual blood pressure readings often exceed accepted normal levels. The findings also show that a population may be routinely examined through normal contact with the family doctor, and that this can provide a convenient, acceptable, and effective means of detecting and reducing raised blood pressure.
Barber et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
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