References
Public health campaign to increase awareness of the risks of high blood pressure
Abstract
The traditional role of the ambulance service as an emergency medical provider has evolved in recent times, with an emerging role being the promotion of public health. The current study explores this concept by evaluating one event in the ‘know your blood pressure’ (KYBP) campaign, conducted across Greater London by the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) in April 2010. The event allowed members of the public to have blood pressure (BP) measurements and to receive advice on the health risks of high BP including stroke. Attendees with BP ≥ 140/90 were referred to their general practitioners (GPs).A subsequent telephone survey was conducted to assess campaign effectiveness. The event was attended by 2 274 people, 23% of whom had a high BP measurement. Overall 625 individuals participated in the telephone survey, over half of whom were referred for further medical attention. More than half of these individuals (56%) contacted their GP's surgery as advised. A number of individuals were either prescribed antihypertensive medication for the first time or were subsequently put on a higher dose or an alternative antihypertensive agent. An increase in knowledge of the risks of high BP was also reported. The positive findings demonstrate that ambulance services can have a role in promoting public health.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP), is a significant public health concern; it is the main risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Murray and Lopez, 1997). An American survey showed that 31% of people with the condition were unaware of it (Wang and Wang, 2004), a figure likely to be similar in the UK; moreover, many with diagnosed hypertension have poorly controlled BP (Berlowitz et al, 1998). Yet it is the risk factor most amenable to treatment—and as such presents an ideal focus for public health promotion.
The traditional role of the ambulance service has been to concentrate on providing a timely response to those requiring urgent medical care, stabilisation of the patient's condition, and efficient transfer to hospital for definitive treatment. However, this role has evolved over the last decade or so, and ambulance service personnel are now equipped with a range of skills that can be applied in a wide variety of situations. A Department of Health (DH) publication in 2005 stated that ambulance services in England should ‘provide an increasing range of other services’, including health promotion and the prevention of emergencies (DH, 2005).
Subscribe to get full access to the Journal of Paramedic Practice
Thank you for visiting the Journal of Paramedic Practice and reading our archive of expert clinical content. If you would like to read more from the only journal dedicated to those working in emergency care, you can start your subscription today for just £48.
What's included
-
CPD Focus
-
Develop your career
-
Stay informed