A qualitative study on the practicality of guideline recommended office blood pressure measurement in primary care.

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Population: Hypertension (n=227). Intervention: Guideline-recommended blood pressure measurement protocols. Primary outcome: Adherence to and perceptions of guideline-recommended blood pressure measurement protocols.

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Guideline-recommended office blood pressure measurement is viewed as impractical and is not strictly adhered to in routine primary care, primarily due to time constraints and competing clinical priorities. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Laura Sutton; Annika Wilson; Janette Radford (14747401); Faline Howes; Markus P. SCHLAICH; Aletta E Schutte; Belinda Donovan; Ginita Oberoi; Keen Khong; Seana Gall; Suzanne Waddingham; Sandra Coe; Sarah Prior; Gregory M Peterson; Mark R. Nelson; James E. Sharman

doi:10.31128/ajgp-09-25-7839

October 1, 2026

A qualitative study on the practicality of guideline recommended office blood pressure measurement in primary care.

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Key result

Guideline-recommended blood pressure protocols face poor adherence in routine primary care due to time constraints.

n=227

Why the study?

The practicality of performing clinic blood pressure measurement strictly according to guideline-recommended protocols in primary care had not been examined.

Key Points

To evaluate the real-world practicality of implementing guideline-recommended office blood pressure measurement protocols in primary care.
Conducted 16 co-design workshops across Tasmania, Australia, with primary care health professionals who measure blood pressure (n = 63) and community members (n = 47).
Explored clinical adherence to standardized measurement protocols, perceived feasibility, and underlying barriers in routine practice.
All participating health professionals reported awareness of recommended measurement techniques, yet none reported measuring blood pressure strictly according to guideline protocols.
Clinicians cited severe time constraints and competing clinical priorities as primary barriers, while community members reported never having received protocol-driven blood pressure measurements.

Structured PICO

P

Population

227 community members and primary health professionals in Tasmania, Australia, participated in a qualitative study exploring practices and perceptions of blood pressure measurement.

O

Outcome

Practicality of and adherence to guideline-recommended blood pressure measurement protocols (including office and home blood pressure monitoring) in primary care

While blood pressure monitoring is widely valued, strict adherence to guideline-recommended protocols is impractical in routine primary care, highlighting the need for improved education and structured feedback pathways.

Limitations

Targeted secondary analysis not originally designed to explore these perspectives in depth.
Focus on a single Australian state may limit transferability to other contexts.
Reliance on self-reported practices, which may not fully capture actual behavior.
Demographic data collection lacked characteristics such as socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and health literacy.
Targeted analysis arising from an unexpected finding (not originally designed to explore these perspectives in depth)
Focus on a single Australian state, which may limit transferability to other contexts
Reliance on self-reported practices, which may not fully capture actual behavior
Limited demographic data collection (socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and health literacy were not collected)

Implication

Guideline BP protocols appear impractical in primary care; supports development of pragmatic alternatives and prospective implementation trials.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: For accuracy, clinic blood pressure (BP) must be measured using a standardised, guideline-recommended protocol. Practicality of this has not been examined, which was the aim of this study. METHOD: Across Tasmania, Australia, 16 co-design workshops were undertaken with primary care health professionals who perform BP measurement (n = 63) and community members (n = 47). Workshops discussed whether the guideline-recommended BP measurement protocol was adhered to. RESULTS: There was awareness among health professionals of the recommended way to measure BP. However, none reported measuring BP strictly according to the protocol, instead advising this was not practical. The most common reasons given for this were time constraints and competing clinical priorities. Community members reported never having received protocol-driven BP measurements from a health professional, also citing perceived time constraint as a reason. DISCUSSION: The guideline-recommended protocol for measuring BP is seen as impractical for health professionals to undertake in routine primary care.

Discussion

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Cite This Study

Sutton et al. (2026) studied Hypertension (n=227). Guideline-recommended blood pressure measurement protocols was evaluated on Adherence to and perceptions of guideline-recommended blood pressure measurement protocols. Guideline-recommended blood pressure measurement protocols are widely viewed as impractical in routine primary care due to time constraints, leading to ad hoc and non-standardized practices.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6acae65a082e6266f39bf589 https://doi.org/10.31128/ajgp-09-25-7839

View at Publisher

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A qualitative study on the practicality of guideline recommended office blood pressure measurement in primary care.

Key Points

Structured PICO

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

A qualitative study on the practicality of guideline recommended office blood pressure measurement in primary care.

Key Points

Structured PICO

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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