The reliability of patient self-reported blood pressures.

Self-monitoring of blood pressure actively involves patients in hypertension management. However, the usefulness of self-monitoring of blood pressure may be limited by inaccurate patient reporting. The study objective was to assess reliability of patient blood pressure reporting over 6 months. Forty-nine subjects with Joint National Committee stage 1 or 2 hypertension were enrolled. Unaware that the monitors electronically store readings, the subjects were asked to check and record outpatient blood pressures twice weekly. Stored and written readings were compared. On average, patient-recorded blood pressures were equivalent to stored monitor values 80% or more of the time. Reliability of patient self-reporting was sustained over the 6-month study period. Notably, patients did not selectively report lower blood pressure readings. The overall mean self-reported and stored monitor blood pressures were nearly identical: blood pressure (+/-SD) 134+/-16.8/78+/-11.6 mm Hg and 135+/-19.6/80+/-13.3 mm Hg, respectively. The reliability of self-reporting of blood pressures for many patients supports the potential usefulness of self-monitoring of blood pressure in hypertension management.