Blood pressure monitors in primary healthcare centres

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure monitoring is one of the most common procedures in clinical medicine. Evaluation and treatment of hypertension are costly and have considerable implications for the individuals involved. Mercury manometers have been dominant for a century, but are currently being replaced by other types of equipment. No national guidelines/recommendations exist on types of blood pressure monitors to be used. The aim of this study was to assess the types of blood pressure monitors used in Norwegian general practice, and to what extent routines have been established for control and calibration of the equipment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 2007, a questionnaire was distributed to 65 university-affiliated primary healthcare centres in Mid-Norway. The questions included what type of blood pressure monitors are in use and whether routines exist for calibration of them. RESULTS: 45 healthcare centres with a total of 173 general practitioners (corresponding to 74 % of the doctors) responded. 18 (6 %) of the 320 monitors identified were of the mercury type, the rest were aneroid or oscillometric. Many centres had 24-hour monitors. Two healthcare centres (4 % of the doctors) had established routines for calibration of their blood pressure monitors. INTERPRETATION: Routines should be established for quality assurance of blood pressure monitors in Norwegian primary healthcare services.