A new initiative led by the University of Tasmania's Menzies Institute for Medical Research aims to improve the accuracy of blood pressure measurements taken in general practice clinics to help reduce the rates of cardiovascular disease.
This initiative will see a broader rollout of automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurement across 40 General Practitioners (GP) Clinics, and 6,000 patients, in Tasmania and other parts of Australia.
National guidelines recommend AOBP to better manage high blood pressure (hypertension) which is a major risk factor for thousands of Australians, yet it is rarely implemented.
Lead Researcher from Menzies' Cardiovascular Research Flagship , Professor James Sharman said blood pressure is frequently not measured using the best possible method as many GPs don't have enough time during short appointments and resourcing constraints.
