Having a “good” blood pressure is incredibly important for our health. High blood pressure can cause problems with every system in the body and puts you at higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Knowing you have high blood pressure means that it can be treated and if you’re being treated it is important that the treatment is working. Monitoring your blood pressure at home gives doctors, nurses and pharmacists a more accurate reading and helps them to tailor your treatment in the best way. Monitoring your blood pressure at home reduces “white coat syndrome” so is more accurate. It also takes away the inconvenience of multiple visits to the practice for testing and ultimately helps you to “self-manage” your high blood pressure.
Connect me is the new NHS Scotland platform for using technology to manage our health. Home (or remote) blood pressure (BP) monitoring is the first condition to be using this new platform.
If you are getting messages informing you that your BP is high and you are concerned, please follow the advice below. If you are still concerned or instructed by the message to advise your GP please give us a call.
There are three contact methods available:
• SMS – (NOTE: unfortunately the SMS system is currently incompatible to patients on the network providers SKY, Tesco, PlusNet and Lyca. This is in the process of being resolved.)
• Online – This is done either on the free mobile app or on the Inhealthcare portal.
• Automated Phone Call to either a mobile phone or landline
How it works:
• Your clinician registers you for remote BP monitoring
• You will then need to follow the registration instructions provided to you using your chosen contact method. (You will have one week to use the registration link provided before it sends another.)
• Using your chosen method of communication you will receive a prompt to check your BP at home
• You then submit your BP using your chosen method
• If your BP is too high or too low you will be alerted and instructed on what to do
• A report is sent to your GP practice automatically who will review if any changes need to be made to your care
You can opt out at any time and will be instructed how to do so once you have been registered.
There are 3 groups of patients for whom remote BP monitoring is used:
- A routine check reveals a high BP and you don’t have a diagnosis of hypertension. You would do 1 or 2 weeks of twice a day BP readings.
- You have a diagnosis of hypertension, either new or existing, and your blood pressure is uncontrolled. You would do twice weekly BP readings for 3 months.
- You have controlled hypertension and want to continue longer monitoring at home. You would measure your BP once a month.
For all protocols you will be prompted to give a reading in the morning and afternoon of the day(s) you are asked to submit readings.
The practice has a limited supply of blood pressure monitors which can be used for diagnosis and initial management of high blood pressure. We would expect these to be returned to the practice so that other people can benefit from them. If you wish to monitor your blood pressure longer term we would encourage you to buy your own blood pressure monitor. These can be purchased from a variety of online shopping sites or from your local pharmacy at a small cost.
If you have hypertension and want to monitor your blood pressure at home please call the practice and ask to leave a message for the practice pharmacist for consideration.
Please find information leaflets below which can be viewed and downloaded. Paper copies are available from the practice.
