You are finally being seeing by your primary care doctor. You had to wait a long time just to get an appointment. He’s running late. The front desk asked you a bunch of tedious questions. That double latte you drank in the waiting room now has your heart pounding, and you have to urinate. Badly. A medical assistant brings you back quickly. They ask you to climb up and sit on an examining table that feels much too highly perched. You make some small talk about how crazy the traffic was today as they quickly take your blood pressure through your shirt sleeve. 159 over 93. What? you exclaim. It’s been much better at home! The doctor barges in, and before you know it he’s prescribing your third blood pressure medication. He’s leaving the room already. What’s happening?!
Among the many problems with our healthcare system is the challenge of getting a proper, accurate, efficient, and consistent blood pressure reading in clinical situations. As one of the core vital signs we me…