Accuracy of a smartphone application for blood pressure estimation in Bangladesh, South Africa, and Tanzania

Abstract

Undetected and unmonitored hypertension carries substantial mortality and morbidity, especially during pregnancy. We assessed the accuracy of OptiBP^TM, a smartphone application for estimating blood pressure (BP), across diverse settings. The study was conducted in community settings: Gaibandha, Bangladesh and Ifakara, Tanzania for general populations, and Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital, South Africa for pregnant populations. Based on guidance from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 81,060-2:2018 for non-invasive BP devices and global consensus statement, we compared BP measurements taken by two independent trained nurses on a standard auscultatory cuff to the BP measurements taken by a research version of OptiBP^TM called CamBP. For ISO criterion 1, the mean error was 0.5 ± 5.8 mm Hg for the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 0.1 ± 3.9 mmHg for the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in South Africa; 0.8 ± 7.0 mmHg for the SBP and -0.4 ± 4.0 mmHg for the DBP in Tanzania; 3.3 ± 7.4 mmHg for the SBP and -0.4 ± 4.3 mmHg for the DBP in Bangladesh. For ISO criterion 2, the average standard deviation of the mean error per subject was 4.9 mmHg for the SBP and 3.4 mmHg for the DBP in South Africa; 6.3 mmHg for the SBP and 3.6 mmHg for the DBP in Tanzania; 6.4 mmHg for the SBP and 3.8 mmHg for the DBP in Bangladesh. OptiBP^TM demonstrated accuracy against ISO standards in study populations, including pregnant populations, except in Bangladesh for SBP (criterion 2). Further research is needed to improve performance across different populations and integration within health systems.

Fig. 1

Overview of OptiBP^TM (Ref. ).

Fig. 2

Flow diagram of the client progress (screening, exclusion and analysis) of the CamBP assessment study in three countries (South Africa, Tanzania, and Bangladesh).

Fig. 3

Bland-Altman Plots across countries.