Online photo libraries are blurring the message on hypertension.
When your Back Page scribbler’s local GP recently suggested we invest in a home blood pressure monitor to keep a watch on our systolic and diastolic, we didn’t muck about.
Quicker than you can say “myocardial infarction”, we high-tailed it to the nearest pharmacy and slapped our hard-earned down on the counter.
The other thing we did was to pay very close attention to the doc’s advice on how to use the monitor properly. What’s more, we even subjected the instruction pamphlet inside the box to an atypically thorough scrutiny.
So now, even if we do fall victim to the silent threat of hypertension, it won’t be because we weren’t putting the cuff on properly or sitting in the wrong position.
Sadly, this is not always the case and, according to a study published this week in the journal Hypertension, popular online photography libraries beloved by the media are partly to blame.
The research, undertaken by The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Sydney in collaboration with Griffith University, focussed on sifting through the online image resources which are used by media outlets and other websites to illustrate stories and educational material about blood-pressure checking intended to guide the public, healthcare professionals, researchers, and medical students.
The study analysed results from a Google search in July 2024 that identified 11 stock photo websites with at least 1000 images of blood pressure measurement each. The researchers screened a minimum of 100 images per site from platforms including iStock, Getty Images, Shutterstock and others, for a total sample of 1106 images.
Two independent reviewers then evaluated each photo for accuracy against the 10 visual criteria in the 2023 International Consensus on Standardised Clinical BP Measurement.
The results were, to put it politely, worrisome. Our boffins found that only one in seven images in these libraries were accurately depicting the correct technique for checking blood pressure according to international guidelines.
The most common error in photos was the patient not having their back supported (73% of images), the patient’s whole forearm not resting on a table (55%), older-style, manual devices being used (52%) and the patient not having their feet flat on the floor (36%).
“With more people checking their own blood pressure at home without being taught the right technique, the widespread use of inaccurate visuals could be having serious health consequences because people are relying on them instead,” Professor Alta Schutte, co-lead of the cardiovascular program at The George Institute, said in a media release.
The issue is likely to be compounded by the fact that AI-generated images of blood pressure checks are being built using the materials found in these image libraries.
“Accurate measurement is the cornerstone of effective diagnosis and management of high blood pressure; without it, we can’t be sure people are getting the best treatment,” Professor Schutte added.
It would be nice to think that online image libraries might take this research to heart and undertake a forensic culling of misleading photos and illustrations for the greater good of public health.
Nice, as we say, but about as likely as getting shat on by a high-flying pig.
Help lower our blood pressure by sending story tips to Holly@medicalrepblic.com.au.
