A CURRICULUM FOR THE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF BLOOD-PRESSURE MEASUREMENT FOR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDERS

Blood pressure measurement in clinical practice is almost never perfor med according to accepted guidelines. This is likely to be a result of inadequate training. We describe a standardized training program for teaching blood pressure measurement to health care students, practitio ners and clinical investigators as well as lay personnel. The goal is to have the student understand the rationale and be able to perform ac curate blood pressure measurements. Students must master the knowledge of proper blood pressure measurement technique, document their accura cy on standardized video tests and demonstrate their performance of pr oper technique. In addition the program reviews key historical and phy siological aspects of blood pressure measurement and the cardiovascula r complications of high blood pressure. The operation and maintenance of sphygmomanometers and the stethoscope, and monitoring for biases in blood pressure measurements in clinical practice, are also covered. T he curriculum time requires a minimum of 7 h and biannual recertificat ion is recommended. With training of instructors, the program can be e asily replicated and should be considered in any setting in which bloo d pressure measurement is taught.