Automation:

Blood pressure (BP) measurement isthe most common diagnostic proce-dure performed in the outpatient clinic.1 Until recently, doctors had to measure BP by stethoscope and cuff, combined with a mercury or aneroid (dial-type) sphygmomanometer. The currently avail-able, accurate, fully automated devices for the clinic (Figure 1) may lead to bet-ter hypertension management and may save time. In a “head-to-head ” compari-son of readings from one automated device with those taken by a hyperten-sion nurse specialist who was well trained in proper BP measurement, there was 92 % agreement in the diagnosis o