Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 08, 2025
Study: Only 1 in 7 Online Blood Pressure Images Show Proper Technique
TLDR
- Accurate blood pressure measurement knowledge provides a health advantage by preventing misdiagnosis and ensuring proper treatment decisions based on correct readings.
- Only 14% of online stock images show proper blood pressure measurement technique, with home images three times more accurate than clinical setting depictions.
- Correct blood pressure measurement techniques improve public health outcomes by reducing misdiagnosis and ensuring appropriate treatment for millions with hypertension.
- Home blood pressure monitoring images are six times more accurate than healthcare professional depictions in online stock photos, revealing widespread procedural inaccuracies.
Impact - Why it Matters
This research matters because inaccurate blood pressure measurement techniques depicted in widely available online images can lead to millions of people obtaining incorrect readings, potentially resulting in misdiagnosis, inappropriate medication adjustments, and improper treatment decisions. Given that high blood pressure affects nearly half of American adults and is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure—leading causes of death worldwide—ensuring accurate measurement is critical for proper management. The study's findings are particularly relevant as more people rely on home blood pressure monitoring and seek guidance online, making visual accuracy essential for public health outcomes and reducing cardiovascular disease risks.
Summary
A groundbreaking study published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal, reveals that only 1 in 7 online stock images of blood pressure monitoring accurately depict proper measurement techniques according to clinical guidelines. Led by Professor Alta Schutte from the University of New South Wales Sydney and The George Institute for Global Health, the research analyzed over 1,000 images from major stock photo websites including 123rf, Adobe Stock, and Getty Images, finding that just 14% showed correct procedures. The study, which followed the 2023 International Consensus on Standardized Clinic Blood Pressure Measurement guidelines, discovered that home monitoring images were approximately three times more accurate (25%) than those in clinical settings (8%), with images showing patient self-measurement being six times more likely to be accurate than those depicting healthcare professionals.
The analysis identified numerous critical errors in the stock images that could lead to inaccurate blood pressure readings. Common deviations included lack of back support (73%), improper forearm positioning (55%), use of manual instead of electronic devices (52%), dangling feet (36%), talking during measurement (23% for professionals, 18% for patients), incorrect arm positioning (19%), crossed legs (13%), and cuffs placed over clothing (12%). Given that nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure and many rely on home monitoring, these inaccurate visual representations could have serious public health consequences through the picture-superiority effect, where people remember images better than words.
The American Heart Association provides resources to help people learn proper techniques, and study authors urge major health organizations, media outlets, and stock photo creators to review their online images for accuracy. The research highlights the urgent need for improved visual representation of medical procedures in digital media to prevent incorrect blood pressure readings that could lead to improper treatment decisions when shared with healthcare teams.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, Study: Only 1 in 7 Online Blood Pressure Images Show Proper Technique
