Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
We are happy to advise our patients that we can now provide this service in the practice. For further information please go the Services page or read below:
A well accepted method of diagnosing hypertension, high blood pressure is via the ambulatory blood pressure monitor. High blood pressure is often a silent disease and we are always on the look out for it. If any of the clinicians i.e. the GP’s or the nurses suspect you have high blood pressure, you will need to have the monitor to confirm this diagnosis.
Some people just get very anxious when they are in the clinical atmosphere of the practice and their blood pressure goes up, and it returns to normal when they are in their familiar setting. This is called white coat hypertension and by using the monitor we can diagnosis this condition also. Hypertension needs treatment, white coat hypertension does not, it only needs to be diagnosed.
The other use of the monitor in General Practice is to check that treatment is working.
The above are the three reasons that the monitor will be used at The Parks. The necessity for any patient to have the monitor carried out will be clinician led. Patients themselves cannot order the test. The clinicians will suggest the necessity for the test and will take responsibility for managing the result.
If you are diagnosed with hypertension via the monitor you will automatically need a full set of routine bloods and a visit to the GP. If you are suspected of having white coat hypertension and the monitor confirms this diagnosis your result can be given to you over the phone. If you are having the monitor to check that your medication is working correctly, if it is, you can be given the result over the phone, if you need an adjustment in your medication, you will need to be seen by the GP.
Costings.
Monitor, bloods and visit to GP 150 euro
Monitor and visit to GP 120 euro
Monitor alone. 80 euro
