Treatment plans are only as good as the data that informs them. As the AMA seeks to tackle high rates of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. a critical step is ensuring that physicians in office and patients at home are getting accurate blood pressure readings from the devices they are using.
The marketplace for blood pressure (BP) measurement devices has widened with many options of features, functions and price points. Yet, with the number of options available, it can be difficult to know which BP devices provide reliable and accurate readings. This is especially important with growing interest in taking blood pressure readings outside of the office and in the home, so both patients and physicians need to trust that those readings are clinically accurate.
To help fill this gap, hypertension experts began meeting in 2015 to design a set of criteria for what would be required for BP measurement devices to be considered validated and accurate for clinical use. What emerged is now the US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing (VDLTM), a free resource available at validatebp.org that administrators, physicians and care teams can use to identify BP devices that have been validated for clinical accuracy, ensuring that patients are using validated devices to share reliable readings back to them.
Devices listed on the VDL have been voluntarily submitted by device manufacturers for independent review by the VDL Independent Review Committee, which is comprised of 13 physician experts who determine whether a BP device satisfies the VDL Criteria for validation of clinical accuracy. Determinations are made quarterly, then approved devices are added to validateBP.org. The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago serves as an independent third party to manage the submission and review process. There is no cost to submit devices or for the review, and the AMA does not receive any funding from any BP device manufacturer or other third party.
The VDL currently has 57 clinically accurate devices, including at-home and in-office upper arm devices, wrist cuff devices, community kiosks and 24-hour ambulatory monitors. The VDL Advisory Group, comprised of representatives from 11 external organizations, provide insights on emerging technologies and device types that may be relevant to the VDL.
For more information on VDL Criteria and how to find validated blood pressure devices and view the latest US Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing™, visit www.validatebp.org.
Disclaimer: AMA does not receive funding from any third party in relation to the development of the VDL Criteria, and does not receive funding from any BP device manufacturer or other third party in relation to the VDL process.
