Strong scientific evidence shows that self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP), also known as home blood pressure monitoring, plus clinical support helps people with hypertension lower their blood pressure.
SMBP is the regular measurement of blood pressure by the patient outside the clinical setting, either at home or elsewhere. SMBP requires the use of a home blood pressure measurement device by the patient to measure blood pressure at different points in time.
SMBP plus clinical support can improve access to care and quality of care for individuals with hypertension while making blood pressure control more convenient and accessible across the population. Clinical support includes regular one-on-one counseling, web-based or telephonic support tools, and educational classes.
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Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: Action Steps for Public Health
Strong evidence suggests that SMBP—when combined with regular support from trained health care professionals—is effective in lowering blood pressure among hypertensive patients. This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guide outlines action steps that public health practitioners can take to support SMBP.
Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: Action Steps for Clinicians
SMBP plus additional clinical support is one strategy that can reduce the risk of disability or death from high blood pressure. The purpose of this CDC guide is to help clinicians implement SMBP in their practices by providing evidence-based action steps and resources.
Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Program: Engaging Patients in Self-Measurement
This program, from the American Medical Association and Johns Hopkins Medicine, is designed for use by physician offices and health centers to engage patients in SMBP. This program describes various ways that the patient can obtain blood pressure measurements outside of the clinical office either through the purchase of a device or a physician-led blood pressure monitor loaner program.
Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Interactive Infographic for Clinicians
This interactive infographic, from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, can be used to inform health care providers about SMBP, the burden of high blood pressure, and the medical and financial advantages of an SMBP monitoring program.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: Comparative Effectiveness [PDF-1.7M] A 2012 comparative effectiveness review by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examined the effectiveness of SMBP alone compared with SMBP plus additional clinical support and with usual care. AHRQ found that the strength of evidence is high for the effectiveness of SMBP with some form of additional clinical support in lowering blood pressure and improving control among patients with hypertension, compared with usual care. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, January 2012)
The Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations on Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Interventions The Community Preventive Services Task Force conducted a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of using SMBP with additional clinical support to manage high blood pressure and SMBP alone. The results of this review demonstrated strong evidence of effectiveness for interventions using SMBP plus additional clinical support to improve high blood pressure outcomes and sufficient evidence of effectiveness for SMBP interventions used alone. Additionally, economic evidence indicates that SMBP monitoring interventions are cost-effective when used with additional patient support or team-based care. (Community Preventive Services Task Force, June 2015)
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Final Recommendation Statement for Hypertension in Adults: Screening and Home Monitoring The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) continues to give screening for high blood pressure in adults aged 18 years and older an “A” recommendation. In the latest recommendation, the USPSTF included additional guidance for obtaining blood pressure measurements away from the clinical setting, such as ambulatory or SMBP to confirm a hypertension diagnosis before starting treatment. (US Preventive Services Task Force, October 2015)
The 6|18 Initiative: Accelerating Evidence into Action As of 2015, coverage for SMBP is not universal and varies by state, insurance plans, or is not covered at all. The CDC 6|18 Initiative includes SMBP as one of its evidence-based interventions to control high blood pressure and is partnering with health care purchasers, payers, and providers to promote SMBP as a proposed payer intervention. The Initiative supports providing access for SMBP for home-use and creating individual, provider, and health-system incentives for compliance and meeting goals.
Success Stories
Several Million Hearts® partners have demonstrated success in lowering blood pressure by using SMBP. Read more about how they incorporated SMBP into their practices.
