Hypertension: blood pressure (80 years and over)

Indicator type

General practice indicator suitable for use in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

Rationale

Blood pressure control can help with the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Blood pressure targets differ between clinic and home settings because blood pressure can be raised in formal settings such as in clinic. The intermediate outcome can be achieved through lifestyle advice or the use of drug therapy.

Source guidance

Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline NG136 (2019, last updated 2022), recommendations 1.4.21 and 1.4.22

Specification

Numerator: The number of patients in the denominator in whom the last blood pressure reading (measured in the preceding 12 months) is less than 145/85 mmHg if using ambulatory or home monitoring, or less than 150/90 mmHg if monitored in clinic

Denominator: The number of patients aged 80 years or over on the hypertension register.

Calculation: Numerator divided by the denominator, multiplied by 100.

Exclusions: None.

Personalised care adjustments or exception reporting should be considered to account for situations when patients decline to have blood pressure recorded or when the target is not appropriate.

Minimum population: The indicator would be appropriate to assess performance at individual general practice level. To be classified as suitable for use in QOF, there should be an average minimum population of more than 20 patients per practice eligible for inclusion in the denominator prior to application of personalised care adjustments. HYP007 QOF data for 2019/20 compared with ONS population statistics shows that an average practice with 10,000 patients would have around 322 eligible patients.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-5926-6