Publications by authors named "B McKinstry"
Background: Blood pressure (BP) control following stroke is important but currently sub-optimal. This trial aimed to determine whether self-monitoring of hypertension with telemonitoring and a treatment escalation protocol, results in lower BP than usual care in people with previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
Methods: Unblinded randomised controlled trial, comparing a BP telemonitoring-based intervention with control (usual care) for hypertension management in 12 primary care practices in England.
A service evaluation of the implementation of a novel digital intervention for hypertension self-monitoring and management system in primary care (SHIP): protocol for a mixed methods study.
BMC Cardiovasc Disord
December 2024
Background: Hypertension is a key risk factor for death and disability, and blood pressure reduction is associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular risk. Large trials have shown that interventions including self-monitoring of blood pressure can reduce blood pressure but real-world data from wider implementation are lacking.
Aim: The self-monitoring and management service evaluation in primary care (SHIP) study will evaluate a novel digital intervention for hypertension management and medication titration platform ("Hypertension-Plus") that is currently undergoing initial implementation into primary care in several parts of the UK.
Article Synopsis
- There is a significant challenge in accurately diagnosing asthma in primary care, leading to frequent misdiagnosis, which prompted the development of a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) aimed at helping in this area for young patients aged 5-25.
- The study conducted in England and Scotland involved 10 general practices, with 75 out of 94 clinicians using the CDSS over six months, and qualitative interviews revealed that clinicians found it user-friendly and helpful in auto-populating patient information.
- While the CDSS was generally well-received, some limitations were noted, such as the inability to directly record findings into patient notes and a perception that it would be more beneficial for trainees than
Coronary artery disease continues to be the leading cause of death globally. Identifying patients who are at risk of coronary artery disease remains a public health priority. At present, the focus of cardiovascular disease prevention relies heavily on probabilistic risk scoring despite no randomized controlled trials demonstrating their efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The aim of this study was to understand how patients experienced hypertension management, with or without blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design, Methods, Participants And Setting: This qualitative study conducted between April and November 2022 consisted of 43 semistructured telephone interviews (23 men and 20 women) from 6 primary care practices in one area of Scotland.
Results: From the views of 25 participants with experience of using the Connect Me telemonitoring service and 18 participants without such experience, 5 themes were developed.