TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of terminal digit preference by family physicians and sphygmomanometer calibration errors on blood pressure value
T2 - Implication for hypertension screening
AU - Niyonsenga, Theophile
AU - Vanasse, Alain
AU - Courteau, Josiane
AU - Cloutier, Lyne
PY - 2008/5
Y1 - 2008/5
N2 - The accuracy of blood pressure (BP) measurement is important; systematic small errors can mislabel BP status in many persons. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of 2 types of measurement errors on the evaluation of BP in family medicine: errors associated with terminal digit preference and those associated with calibration errors of sphygmomanometers. Secondary data analyses from 2 different projects were used to derive empiric distributions of terminal digit and BP device errors. Taking into account both types of errors, the proportion of false positives (falsely high BP) and false negatives (falsely normal BP) varied between 0.82% and 5.18% of the population of consulting family physicians. In the United States, false positives and false negatives in patients' BP evaluations might lead to overtreating or undertreating 1.15 million to 7.25 million patients. Results support the need for the development of systematic interventions for quality control of BP measurements and periodic retraining for health professionals.
AB - The accuracy of blood pressure (BP) measurement is important; systematic small errors can mislabel BP status in many persons. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of 2 types of measurement errors on the evaluation of BP in family medicine: errors associated with terminal digit preference and those associated with calibration errors of sphygmomanometers. Secondary data analyses from 2 different projects were used to derive empiric distributions of terminal digit and BP device errors. Taking into account both types of errors, the proportion of false positives (falsely high BP) and false negatives (falsely normal BP) varied between 0.82% and 5.18% of the population of consulting family physicians. In the United States, false positives and false negatives in patients' BP evaluations might lead to overtreating or undertreating 1.15 million to 7.25 million patients. Results support the need for the development of systematic interventions for quality control of BP measurements and periodic retraining for health professionals.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=50349094332&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1751-7176.2008.06620.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1751-7176.2008.06620.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 18453792
AN - SCOPUS:50349094332
SN - 1524-6175
VL - 10
SP - 341
EP - 347
JO - Journal of Clinical Hypertension
JF - Journal of Clinical Hypertension
IS - 5
ER -