Background
Hypertension is the most common chronic condition managed in
general practice, but blood pressure (BP) control is often suboptimal.
Home blood pressure (HBP) monitoring can be more accurate than
office based BP (OBP) monitoring, with HBP readings ~10/5 mmHg
lower than OBP in the same patients.
Discussion
This is the first study in standard Australian general practice using
both a comprehensive clinic approach and HBP readings exclusively.
This study provided a feasible management protocol and practical
clinical performance indicators that could be used for a randomised
controlled trial. Significantly better control rates were achieved
compared with published studies for BP control.
Results
Of 524 eligible patients, 414 (79%) enrolled in the clinic, of whom 89%
completed the trial. At 12 months, HBP control rates rose from 29.9% to
44.8%, with mean HBP falling 5.2/3.2 mmHg (p<0.001). Home BP monitor
ownership rose from 54.3 to 82.9%.
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