[rootusrootus]

> We don't diagnose someone over a single BP measurement.

Yeah I feel like no doctor of mine has ever been the type to do that. My current PCP wouldn't prescribe meds for hypertension until after I took my own BP at home for a month (it was not catastrophically high when measured at his office, he might have taken a different approach in that situation).

[atahanacar]

Even with a catastrophically high measurement, no doctor would diagnose with a single data point. At worst, they would ask the patient to measure at home multiple times a day, after teaching the correct method of measurement. At best, they would do an ambulatory monitoring.

[TexanFeller]

False. I went into a first visit at a doctor office one time and after spending about five minutes total with me he sent me home with a BP Rx. No mention of verifying it with home readings to make sure I really need it and he didn't even bother giving me standard advice like lose weight. Most other doctors did only slightly better. Insurance only reimburses for like 10 minutes of their time, half of which is spent updating records, so it's unsurprising they don't have time to properly handle your problem.

[Zenzero]

Maybe not a diagnosis, but dependent on history if my patient is throwing repeatable >200 systolic that's probably not one I'm going to just sit on waiting for repeat measurements.

[from-nibly]

I got started in BP medication after like 2 readings.

[mh-]

Same here. I feel like the type of physician who comments on HN may not be representative of the average PCP.