Objectives: To determine whether pregnant hypertensives women are more anxious when monitored in hospital or at homes.
Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial.
Setting: Rosie Maternity Hospital and women's homes.
Subjects: Ninety-nine pregnant hypertensive women: 50 had their blood pressure measured telemetrically from home, and 49 had it measured in hospital.
Main outcome measures: Number of episodes of monitoring, duration of monitoring, mean blood pressure during monitoring, gestational age at delivery, trait and state anxiety levels.
Results: There were no significant differences in anxiety levels, or in any other outcome measure, between the home and hospital groups.
Conclusion: When blood pressure is being monitored serially in pregnant hypertensive women, there is no measurable difference in their anxiety levels, whether they are in hospital or at home.