Improving Blood Pressure Methods and Reducing Rechecks in Bristol Family Medicine Clinic
Abstract
Background: With blood pressure being an essential vital sign, our goal was to standardize methods of measuring blood pressure to reduce rechecks in an outpatient family medicine clinic in order to improve accuracy of initial blood pressure measurement and efficiency of clinic workflow. Methods: We implemented quality improvement measures at Bristol Family Medicine Clinic over 2 weeks. To accomplish this, we established guidelines including having the patient sit without talking, feet flat on the floor, and arm at heart level for 5 minutes prior to first BP measurement. In the 2-week period we collected BP measurements (1 control week and 1 intervention week) from patients assigned to the two designated nurses participating in the study. We recommended repeating measurement when BP was greater than or equal to 140/90. Results: During the control week, out of the 66 total patients who data was collected from 19% of patients had their BP rechecked. During the intervention week, out of a total of 102 patients 16% of patients had their BP rechecked. Using the Fisher's extract test due to small sample size, our p-value is 0.682, which is well above the standard significance threshold of 0.05. The Odds ratio was 0.815. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is no statistically significant association between lowering number of BP rechecks between control week and intervention week. The distribution of results is consistent with what we would expect to see by random chance.
Start Time
15-4-2026 9:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 12:00 PM
Room Number
Culp Ballroom 316
Poster Number
5
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Subtype
Posters - Competitive
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Graduate and Professional Degree Students, Residents, Fellows
Faculty Mentor
Mary Axelrad
Improving Blood Pressure Methods and Reducing Rechecks in Bristol Family Medicine Clinic
Culp Ballroom 316
Background: With blood pressure being an essential vital sign, our goal was to standardize methods of measuring blood pressure to reduce rechecks in an outpatient family medicine clinic in order to improve accuracy of initial blood pressure measurement and efficiency of clinic workflow. Methods: We implemented quality improvement measures at Bristol Family Medicine Clinic over 2 weeks. To accomplish this, we established guidelines including having the patient sit without talking, feet flat on the floor, and arm at heart level for 5 minutes prior to first BP measurement. In the 2-week period we collected BP measurements (1 control week and 1 intervention week) from patients assigned to the two designated nurses participating in the study. We recommended repeating measurement when BP was greater than or equal to 140/90. Results: During the control week, out of the 66 total patients who data was collected from 19% of patients had their BP rechecked. During the intervention week, out of a total of 102 patients 16% of patients had their BP rechecked. Using the Fisher's extract test due to small sample size, our p-value is 0.682, which is well above the standard significance threshold of 0.05. The Odds ratio was 0.815. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is no statistically significant association between lowering number of BP rechecks between control week and intervention week. The distribution of results is consistent with what we would expect to see by random chance.
