Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25880766›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2015

Challenges in standardization of blood pressure measurement at the population level.

Hanna Tolonen, Päivikki Koponen, Androniki Naska, Satu Männistö, Grazyna Broda, Tarja Palosaari, Kari Kuulasmaa, EHES Pilot Project

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Quality is not an act, it is a habit-Aristotle.Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension · 2023
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Hanna TolonenDepartment of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. hanna.tolonen@thl.fi.
Päivikki KoponenDepartment of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. paivikki.koponen@thl.fi.
Androniki NaskaHellenic Health Foundation, Athens, Greece and Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. anaska@nut.uoa.gr.
Satu MännistöDepartment of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. satu.mannisto@thl.fi.
Grazyna BrodaThe Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland. hanna.tolonen@thl.fi.
Tarja PalosaariDepartment of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. tarja.palosaari@thl.fi.
Kari KuulasmaaDepartment of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. kari.kuulasmaa@thl.fi.
EHES Pilot Project

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccurate blood pressure measurements are needed in clinical practice, intervention studies and health examination surveys. Blood pressure measurements are sensitive: their accuracy can be affected by measurement environment, behaviour of the subject, measurement procedures, devices used for the measurement and the observer. To minimize errors in blood pressure measurement, a standardized measurement protocol is needed.

methodsThe European Health Examination Survey (EHES) Pilot project was conducted in 2009-2012. A pilot health examination survey was conducted in 12 countries using a standardized protocol. The measurement protocols used in each survey, training provided for the measurers, measurement data, and observations during site visits were collected and evaluated to assess the level of standardization.

resultsThe EHES measurement protocol for blood pressure was followed accurately in all 12 pilot surveys. Most of the surveys succeeded in organizing a quiet and comfortable measurement environment, and staff instructed survey participants appropriately before examination visits. In all surveys, blood pressure was measured three times, from the right arm in a sitting posture. The biggest variation was in the device used for the blood pressure measurement.

conclusionsIt is possible to reach a high level of standardization for blood pressure measurements across countries and over time. A detailed, standardized measurement protocol, and adequate training and monitoring during the fieldwork and centrally organized quality assessment of the data are needed. The recent EU regulation banning the sale of mercury sphygmomanometer in European Union Member States has set new challenges for the standardization of measurement devices since the validity of oscillometric measurements is device-specific and performance of aneroid devices depends very much on calibration.

Indexed as

Blood PressureBlood Pressure DeterminationEuropeHealth SurveysHumansHypertensionOscillometryPilot ProjectsReference StandardsRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID25880766
PMCPMC4403933

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.