Longitudinal change in end-digit preference in blood pressure recordings in the hypertension patients followed up in primary care clinics

Abstract

Subject: This study was to evaluate whether a special lecture on the Chinese Guideline for Blood Pressure Measurement (CGBPM) improves end-digit preference (EDP) of blood pressure (BP) recordings in primary care clinics. Methods: In 2012, the doctors working in a clinic received a lecture, which emphasizes that when mercurial sphygmomanometer was used, only 0, and even numbers could be recorded as BP end-digit. In 2016, we collected the BP recordings (2011–2015) of 462 hypertensive patients followed in the educated clinic or in another no-educated clinic. The percentages of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 in BP end-digit were calculated for evaluating zero EDP, and the percent decline in each year was calculated on the formula: (baseline percentage – actual percentage in a year)/baseline percentage. Results: In 2011, the percentage of zero end-digit was over 75% for SBP or DBP in both clinics. Against the no-educated clinic, the educated clinic had significant higher percent decline of zero EDP on SBP (31.5% vs −2.6%) and DBP (36.9% vs −14.3%) in 2013, and in 2014 (SBP 38.0% vs 11.6%; DBP 42.8% vs −4.0%). In 2015, the educated clinic still had higher percent decline of zero EDP on DBP (43.3% vs 29.3%). Furthermore, the percentages of zero end-digit for SBP (43.6% vs 49.2%) or for DBP (43.5% vs 59.0%) were lower in the educated clinic in 2015. Conclusion: Education on BP measurement and recording could improve the quality of BP recordings, and this effect may last for three years.

Keywords

• blood pressure
• end-digit preference
• hypertension
• education
• primary care clinic