Current and potential providers of blood pressure self-screening: a mixed methods study in Oxfordshire.
To (1) establish the extent of opportunities for members of the public to check their own blood pressure (BP) outside of healthcare consultations (BP self-screening), (2) investigate the reasons for and against hosting such a service and (3) ascertain how BP self-screening data are used in primary care.



A mixed methods, cross-sectional study.



Primary care and community locations in Oxfordshire, UK.



325 sites were surveyed to identify where and in what form BP self-screening services were available. 23 semistructured interviews were then completed with current and potential hosts of BP self-screening services.



18/82 (22%) general practices offered BP self-screening and 68/110 (62%) pharmacies offered professional-led BP screening. There was no evidence of permanent BP self-screening activities in other community settings.Healthcare professionals, managers, community workers and leaders were interviewed. Those in primary care generally felt that practice-based BP self-screening was a beneficial activity that increased the attainment of performance targets although there was variation in its perceived usefulness for patient care. The pharmacists interviewed provided BP checking as a service to the community but were unable to develop self-screening services without a clear business plan. Among potential hosts, barriers to providing a BP self-screening service included a perceived lack of healthcare commissioner and public demand, and a weak-if any-link to their core objectives as an organisation.



BP self-screening currently occurs in a minority of general practices. Any future development of community BP self-screening programmes will require (1) public promotion and (2) careful consideration of how best to support-and reward-the community hosts who currently perceive little if any benefit.
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
A C
AC
Tompson
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
S G
0000-0001-7205-2051
SG
Fleming
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
C J
CJ
Heneghan
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
R J
0000-0003-3638-028X
RJ
McManus
Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
S M
SM
Greenfield
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
F D R
FD
Hobbs
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
A M
AM
Ward
D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D006113:United Kingdom
PRIMARY CARE; mixed-methods; screening; self-monitoring