BMJ  2005;330:148 (15 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7483.148-a

Letter

Self monitoring of blood pressure at home

Informed self regulation of drug treatment could be next step

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—While highlighting that home blood pressure readings can be lower and more reliable than those taken in the clinic, Stergiou et al seem reluctant to recommend extensive use of the practice or take the next step of empowering patients to take action on the basis of these results.¹ However, patients adjust their drug treatment, or even stop taking it altogether, without consulting a doctor or looking at their latest blood pressure readings. An estimated 50% of drugs for long term conditions are not taken as prescribed, and patients' beliefs about drugs are the biggest predictor of compliance, the necessity of the drugs being weighed against concerns about side effects and dependency.²

Research to date has focused on self monitoring, with comparatively few studies investigating the potential for informed self regulation of treatment. However, small scale studies on self monitoring and self medication in hypertension and anticoagulation management already . . . [Full text of this article]

Medicines Partnership, London SE1 7JN ckelham@medicines-partnership.org

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