Online Stock Photos of BP Measurement Rarely Align With Guidelines

TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Few online stock photo images of blood pressure (BP) measurement align with clinical guidelines, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Hypertension.

Leopold Ndemnge Aminde, M.D., Ph.D., from Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia, and colleagues examined around the first 100 images from each of 11 major stock photo websites to examine the accuracy of BP measurement images online.

The researchers found that 14 percent of the 1,106 images were accurate on all criteria, varying from 7 percent at Flickr and Freepik to 28 percent at iStock. In terms of photo settings, 63 and 37 percent were clinical and home-based, respectively; 73, 24, and 3 percent of measurements were performed by health care providers, patients, and other people, respectively. Images were penalized for deviations from guidelines, including back unsupported, forearm not resting on a surface, manual and not electronic device, feet not flat on the floor, doctor or observer talking/laughing, mid-arm not at heart level, patient talking/laughing, legs crossed, cuff on clothing, and patient not sitting (73, 55, 52, 36, 23, 19, 18, 13, 12, and 5 percent, respectively). The level of accuracy differed by setting (clinical versus home: 8 versus 25 percent) and assessor (self, health care provider, and other people: 35, 7, and 13 percent, respectively).

“Because people tend to remember images better than words — a phenomenon known as the picture-superiority effect — inaccurate visuals could have serious public health consequences,” lead author Aletta E. Schutte, Ph.D., from the University of New South Wales Sydney, said in a statement.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Abstract/Full Text