Abstract

Background: Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is a valid way of assessing blood pressure. It has been shown to reduce antihypertensive treatment cost and the number of drugs needed. However, the proper economical commitment of the patients has not been clarified.

Methods: From a pool of 40 000 Finns a sample of one thousand hypertensive people who had access to e-mail and who had performed HBPM was randomly selected. Their opinion about an acceptable price for a HBPM device was asked by using an electronic questionnaire. Altogether 640 people answered the questionnaire.

Results: Majority of the study patients without own experience of HBPM considered 60 € as an upper level for HBPM device. Nearly 40% saw 30 € as a maximum price for a HBPM device. Among patients who own a HBPM device the situation was different. Quite few valuated the HBPM devices below 30 €. The price level of 61-90 € was the most acceptable. Family income level did not play any major role in the valuation of HBPM devices.

Conclusion: The financial BP home measurement compliance of the patients without own HBPM device was low. Main reason for the measurement undervaluation is probably the low appreciationm of the concept of measuring BP at home. On the contrary, patients who had already a HBPM device and hence experience of its influence on the BP treatment had a tendency to pay higher prices for the device. As HBPM has been shown to decrease the cost of hypertension treatment the reimbursement of HBPM devices should be considered as already antihypertensive treatment is reimbursed.

Keywords: Blood pressure,home blood pressure monitoring, cost effectiveness, patients' opinion