Patient assessment of self-measurement of blood pressure: Results of a telephone survey in Germany

Objective To obtain information on the adoption of self-measurement of blood pressure by hypertensives and their attending physicians. Methods Callers to the Cardiovascular Hotline Heidelberg revealing themselves to have high blood pressure were interviewed about self-recording of blood pressure. Results Among the callers about 70% practised self-measurement. Half of them bought a device on their own initiative, one-third on recommendation or prescription by their physician, A quarter of those practising the technique were introduced to it by experienced personnel and a comparable number were adequately informed about the aims and objectives, Nevertheless, more than half of those practising self-measurement claimed to be coping better with the disease. Conclusions The data indicate that self-monitoring is widely practised by hypertensives in Germany. In contrast to this finding, too few physicians have adopted home-recording as a useful tool in the treatment of hypertension.