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School funded research finds that when managing hypertension, patients have no preferance for presenting to a GP over pharmacist management or telehealth.

Dr Benjamin Fletcher and researchers at the University of Oxford published their findings in the British Journal of General Practice on 12 August: Patient preferences for management of high blood pressure in the UK: a discrete choice experiment

With the range of potentially effective options to manage hypertension on the increase, it is important to find out how patients value different models of care. The research assessed patient preference for the management of hypertension across four aspects: GP appointment; a walk-in service at a pharmacy; measuring blood pressure at home, and sending results to the GP; and, measuring blood pressure at home and making medication changes.They found that participants had similar preferences for GP management, pharmacist management, and telehealth, but there was a negative preference for self-management. 

Previous research into self-monitoring, telehealth, and new models of care has shown that patients are willing to engage, and that these can be clinically effective. This study provided evidence that patients in the general population are willing to consider change. Based on research evidence, some of these new ways of managing hypertension are being introduced into usual care. 

Publication: Patient preferences for management of high blood pressure in the UK: a discrete choice experiment

The Pharmaceutical Journal picked up the news and published a piece on 13 August 2019. Patients do not prefer GP over pharmacist for hypertension management, study finds, Julia Robinson.