Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Aims:

To investigate factors that moderate and mediate the effect of self-monitoring on blood pressure in hypertension

Why this is important:

Evidence from clinical trials has shown us that patients with hypertension who self-monitor their blood pressure (BP) tend to have lower BP than those patients who don’t.  However, it is unclear exactly how self-monitoring has a positive impact on blood pressure control.  It is likely that self-monitoring supports changes in behaviour in the patients, their doctors or both.  It is important to know how self-monitoring works in order to optimise its effect.

Methods:

I will use a number of methods to investigate the effects of self-monitoring seen in clinical trials, as well as how self-monitoring is used in everyday life, and how important it is in the overall management of hypertension.

  1. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of self-monitoring blood pressure on medication adherence and lifestyle factors. 
  2. Self-monitoring blood pressure in hypertension, patient and provider perspectives: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  3. Web based survey of UK primary care physicians and their use of self-monitoring in hypertension.
  4. Do patients habituate to self-monitoring, and does this explain some of the effects in trials?
  5. How does self-monitoring fit into the everyday lives of patients with hypertension, and what role does it play in the clinical encounter – semi-structured interviews and framework analysis.
  6. Patient preferences for hypertension management – discrete choice analysis (see information for those completing the online survey).

How this could benefit patients:

It is important to understand how self-monitoring achieves a positive effect so that in future we can improve the information provided to patients and doctors to promote self-monitoring, as well as tailoring future self-monitoring interventions.

Further information:

Full project title:

Self-monitoring of blood pressure: mediators and moderators in hypertension management

Length of the project:

3 years

Funders: 

SPCR

Research publications: