A rapid systematic literature review on the influences of blood pressure checks reported by adults without a formal hypertension diagnosis.
Research team
Alison McKinlay, Vivi Antonopoulou, Angel Chater, Fabiana Lorencatto, Emily Oliver, Mike Kelly, Ivo Vlaev, Falko Sniehotta.
Background
To prevent a hypertension diagnosis from developing, adults aged over 40 in the UK are recommended to have their blood pressure checked every 5 years (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2019). The detection of elevated BP and the implementation of appropriate care and behavioural management are a priority for the UK National Health Service as part of the NHS Long Term Plan (National Health Service, 2019). Multiple factors and behaviours are involved in the effective monitoring and checking of BP, including patient-level behaviours, healthcare professional behaviours, and factors associated with the healthcare system, which makes behavioural science a useful lens for investigating this topic.
To provide better strategic decision making at policy level, the Policy Research Unit (PRU) has been conducting a rapid review of the literature on the barriers and enablers that adults experience when engaging with blood pressure checks. This review will consider research that has taken place pre-pandemic, but there is also interest in the work specifically that has taken place since the discovery of COVID-19 in the UK in early 2020.
Methods
We will conduct a rapid systematic literature review and evidence synthesis of published peer reviewed research.
Impact
The findings of the research will be of interest to a policy and practitioner audience, with an interest in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Results from the research will highlight any gaps in existing evidence and point to future research directions regarding barriers and enablers of blood pressure checks.
References
National Health Service. (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan. https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/nhs-long-term-plan-version-1.2.pdf
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2019). Hypertension in adults: Diagnosis and management: NICE guideline [NG136]. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng136/chapter/recommendations