title: Assessing pharmacy students' ability to accurately measure blood pressure using a blood pressure simulator arm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare student accuracy in measuring normal and high blood pressures using a simulator arm.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, single-blind, study involving third-year pharmacy students, simulator arms were programmed with prespecified normal and high blood pressures. Students measured preset normal and high diastolic and systolic blood pressure using a crossover design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred sixteen students completed both blood pressure measurements. There was a significant difference between the accuracy of high systolic blood pressure (HSBP) measurement and normal systolic blood pressure (NSBP) measurement (mean HSBP difference 8.4 ± 10.9 mmHg vs NSBP 3.6 ± 6.4 mmHg; p<0.001). However, there was no difference between the accuracy of high diastolic blood pressure (HDBP) measurement and normal diastolic blood pressure (NDBP) measurement (mean HDBP difference 6.8 ± 9.6 mmHg vs. mean NDBP difference 4.6 ± 4.5 mmHg; p=0.089).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacy students may need additional instruction and experience with taking high blood pressure measurements to ensure they are able to accurately assess this important vital sign.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505, USA. michelle.bottenberg@drake.edu
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bottenberg
authors.forename: Ginelle A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Sally L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Haack
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: North
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*
keywords: assessment; blood pressure; hypertension; pharmacy students; simulation