%0 Journal Article
%T Patients¡ä blood pressure knowledge, perceptions and monitoring practices in community pharmacies
%A Lam
%A Jennifer Y.
%A Guirguis
%A Lisa M.
%J Pharmacy Practice (Internet)
%D 2010
%I Scientific Electronic Library Online
%R 10.4321/S1886-36552010000300006
%X hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. despite this, patients often cannot or inaccurately estimate their risk factors. objectives: in order to improve pharmacist interventions, we sought to: 1) find out patients¡ä knowledge about blood pressure (bp) and their self- monitoring behaviors and 2) identify the relationships between these two elements. specifically, if evaluation of bp control were related to knowledge of one¡äs bp level and self-monitoring habits, and if knowledge of one¡äs target and bp level varied with monitoring habits. methods: final year pharmacy students were trained and interviewed patients in community pharmacies as a required exercise in their pharmacy clerkship. each student recruited a convenience sample of 5-10 patients who were on hypertension medication, and surveyed them regarding their bp targets, recent bp levels as well as monthly and home bp monitoring practices. results: one third of the 449 patients interviewed were able to report a blood pressure target with 26% reporting a jnc 7 recognized target. three quarters of patients who reported a blood pressure target were able to report a blood pressure level, with 12% being at their self- reported target. roughly two thirds of patients perceived their bp to be "about right", and slightly less than a third thought it to be "high". sixty percent of patients monitor their bp monthly, but less than 50% of patients practice home bp monitoring. conclusions: this study along with others before it point to the knowledge and self-management gaps in patients with chronic conditions. furthermore, pharmacy students were able to use a brief intervention to screen patients during routine care. pharmacists can help improve patient understanding and promote increased self-management through regular bp monitoring.
%K students
%K pharmacy
%K blood pressure monitoring
%K ambulatory
%K self care
%K hypertension
%K canada.
%U http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1886-36552010000300006&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en