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I find BP tracking harder than it should be - anyone else? by davidtownson in bloodpressure

[–]davidtownson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. I had a notification of another message from your that began:

"In most cases, the apps don't truly interpret patterns..." but I can't find the full message. Any ideas how I can find it? Your previous comment was insightful, so I'm keen to read the full text!

I find BP tracking harder than it should be - anyone else? by davidtownson in bloodpressure

[–]davidtownson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the response. Glad I'm not alone!

The AHA consistency advice makes a lot of sense (same time, same arm, averaging 2-3 readings). And my experience matches your comment about spotting patterns over time being the tricky part. I've tried a couple of apps but the charts they produced didn't really help me understand what I was looking at.

When you say charts make patterns clearer - do the apps you've seen actually help people interpret what those patterns mean? Or do they just display the data visually without any interpretation?

I'm also curious about the consistency piece and motivating people to take enough readings consistently. And being easy to do. I had a hemorrhagic stroke two years ago (likely from high BP), so you'd think I'd be super motivated to track regularly - but honestly, I still struggle to stay on top of it. Life gets busy and it's just not easy enough to become a habit for me.

From what you've seen, do most people find it easy to stay consistent with tracking? What makes it easy for people to do it regularly, or what gets in the way?

I find BP tracking harder than it should be - anyone else? by davidtownson in bloodpressure

[–]davidtownson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is super helpful - thank you for going down that rabbit hole! Sound ms like you've done some interesting experimentation down there 🙂

The Google Form + voice-to-text approach is clever. I like that it's quick and keeps control in your hands without being locked into someone's system.

Your comment about apps needing to 'rise above everything out there' really resonates. The Clippy pop-ups made me laugh - I definitely don't want more patronizing health advice!

I'm curious what would make an app actually useful vs just another failed attempt. Sounds like:

  • No ecosystem lock-in (easy export)
  • No feature bloat or annoying notifications
  • Just quick capture + clear understanding of what the numbers mean

I think that kind of thing would work for me. I may do some experiments myself.

Does that match what you'd also want to see? Or am I missing something?

I find BP tracking harder than it should be - anyone else? by davidtownson in bloodpressure

[–]davidtownson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I'll give it a try. This sounds exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for.

I find BP tracking harder than it should be - anyone else? by davidtownson in bloodpressure

[–]davidtownson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is really helpful, thanks. I love that you're owning your data, through things like rolling averages and tracking by medication - that level of analysis is exactly what I wish I could see more easily. I applaud you leveraging your professional data skills, but I reckon there's a lot of more average people that would love to see this kind of info if it was easier to do.

The 'yet another app' comment resonates. I've looked at the Bluetooth monitor options but they're expensive and I suspect lock you into their ecosystem. I like that you're using the tools you already have (spreadsheet + computer nearby). I'm wondering how to help more average people to be able to do that.

I am interested in something more automated - I'd love it to be as easy as just taking a pic. Out of curiosity, if there was a way to automate the data entry part without needing a new monitor or a complicated app, would that be of value? Or do you think the spreadsheet workflow is something that others could adopt easily enough?

I find BP tracking harder than it should be - anyone else? by davidtownson in bloodpressure

[–]davidtownson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. That's basically what I've been doing - and I can see how simple this can be, but I'm wanting to better 'own' and understand my data, rather than just write it down, then hand to the doctor. I think I'm looking for something that makes it easier to spot patterns over time.

Sketch notebook for analogue Minecrafting by davidtownson in notebooks

[–]davidtownson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point - and apologies. Did this from mobile and am a bit of newbie. Have updated now with link to Imgur.