Key result
Among 111,996 adults with newly detected high blood pressure, 17.3% were identified during nonprimary care visits, highlighting the value of expanding screening beyond primary care settings.
Why the study?
Does blood pressure screening during nonprimary care visits improve the detection of hypertension in normotensive adults?
Cohort (n=1,075,522)
Yes
Does blood pressure screening during nonprimary care visits improve the detection of hypertension in normotensive adults?
Expanding blood pressure screening to nonprimary care settings, such as optometry, represents a significant opportunity to improve the detection of hypertension.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports BP screening in nonprimary settings; leaves open prospective trials on hypertension control and outcomes.
Visits with nonprimary care providers such as optometrists may be missed opportunities for the detection of high blood pressure (BP). For this study, normotensive adults with at least 12 months of health plan membership on January 1, 2009 (n=1,075,522) were followed-up for high BP through March 14, 2011. Of 111,996 patients with a BP measurement ≥140/90 mm Hg, 82.7% were measured during primary care visits and 17.3% during nonprimary care visits. Individuals with a BP ≥140/90 mm Hg measured during nonprimary care visits were older and more likely to be male and non-Hispanic white. The proportion of patients with follow-up and false-positives were comparable between primary and nonprimary care. The main nonprimary care specialty to identify a first BP ≥140/90 mm Hg was ophthalmology/optometry with 24.5% of all patients. Results suggest that expanding screening for hypertension to nonprimary care settings may improve the detection of hypertension.
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Handler et al. (2015) conducted a cohort in Normotension (screening for hypertension) (n=1,075,522). Blood pressure screening during nonprimary care visits vs. Blood pressure screening during primary care visits was evaluated on Initial BP ≥140/90 mm Hg. Among 111,996 adults with newly detected high blood pressure, 17.3% were identified during nonprimary care visits, highlighting the value of expanding screening beyond primary care settings.
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