Remote Patient Monitoring for Hypertension: Addressing Barriers to Improving Clinical Outcomes with Dr. Alexander Blood
3 min read
Expert insights from Dr. Alexander Blood, MD, MSc, FACC, Cardiologist and Associate Director, Accelerator for Clinical Transformation at Mass General Brigham, reveal how remote patient monitoring can overcome obstacles in hypertension management and elevate cardiovascular care.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major public health issue that can lead to severe, life-threatening complications if untreated. Often called the “silent killer” for its lack of symptoms, hypertension is one of the fastest-growing global health threats. “Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Yet nearly half of people with hypertension do not know they have it,” explains Dr. Alexander Blood, MD, MSc, FACC, Cardiologist and Associate Director, Accelerator for Clinical Transformation at Mass General Brigham.“Untreated, hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and other serious health problems.”
Advancements in Remote Patient Monitoring for Cardiovascular Care
“Remote patient monitoring has transformed cardiovascular care by providing real-time access to critical patient data, helping detect arrhythmias, hypertension, and other cardiovascular issues early, allowing for early and targeted interventions,”notes Dr. Blood. “The clinical value is immense, as it enhances our ability to tailor treatment plans, optimize medication management, and provide proactive care. This technology not only improves patient outcomes but also streamlines workflows and fosters a collaborative approach to patient management.” Beyond these benefits, RPM empowers patients to actively participate in their care, supporting a more engaged and informed patient population.
Challenges in Ensuring More Reliable Hypertension Monitoring
Effective hypertension management requires accurate, consistent data—a challenge both at home and in clinical settings. Guidelines for reliable blood pressure readings require patients to rest for at least five minutes, avoid caffeine and physical activity beforehand, and sit with feet flat on the floor and arm supported at heart level. These standards are difficult to control outside a clinic, and home monitoring adds challenges from technique inconsistencies to potential distractions.
“The ability to accurately monitor blood pressure at home has become increasingly critical as we manage chronic conditions like hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes outside of clinic visits,” says Dr. Blood. “The challenge has always been ensuring the data we receive is both reliable and meaningful. Small inaccuracies due to factors like insufficient rest or improper posture can create significant discrepancies in diagnosis and treatment, potentially compromising patient outcomes.” Given the sensitivity of blood pressure to technique, even minor inaccuracies can impact treatment decisions and outcomes.
Barriers to Clinical Confidence in Home Blood Pressure Readings
Clinicians frequently encounter obstacles in relying on home blood pressure data to inform treatment. Without standardized protocols, inconsistencies such as adherence to medications, timing, and context of readings can make it difficult to confidently base treatment on these measurements. “There is a pressing need for technology that provides precise readings and insights into the context of those readings,” says Dr. Blood. “By understanding the conditions surrounding blood pressure measurements—whether the patient is stressed, active, or not following proper procedure—clinicians can make more informed decisions, streamline care, and save valuable time for care teams.”
Additionally, operational challenges—including limited resources for managing abnormal readings and the lack of automated data flow into electronic health records (EHRs)—further complicate decision-making. According to the American Heart Association, establishing clinical protocols and validated devices for home monitoring could enhance data consistency and build clinical confidence in home readings.
Building Scalable, Patient-Friendly Solutions
For effective remote monitoring, patients need accessible devices, clear guidance on measurement techniques, and options to add context to measurements, particularly for readings outside typical ranges. Automated data sharing with EHRs is another critical feature, allowing clinicians to review and act on patient data seamlessly.
As hypertension affects one in two adults in the U.S., scalable, evidence-based monitoring protocols are vital to reducing cardiovascular complications and mortality. Establishing reliable, technology-driven frameworks for hypertension care is essential to managing this silent threat and empowering patients to manage their health accurately outside the clinic.
Learn more about blood pressure monitoring solutions
BPM Pro 2 is advancing remote blood pressure monitoring as a first-of-its-kind device complete with exclusive features for increased patient engagement and data reliability. This device makes it easy for patients to not only capture their blood pressure and heart rate but for care teams to have better insights into what these readings mean.
Addressing Challenges in Remote Patient Monitoring Accurate at-home blood pressure monitoring can be difficult. Patients might take readings under improper conditions—crossed legs, just after physical activity, or without sufficient rest—leading to inaccurate data and unnecessary concern. This not only frustrates patients but also increases provider workloads as they deal with troubleshooting and sifting through inconsistent readings.
Remote monitoring can also be resource-intensive for care teams. Providers often spend valuable time reminding patients to take measurements or trying to understand what's driving abnormal blood pressure readings without sufficient context.
How BPM Pro 2 Elevates Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring With BPM Pro 2, both patients and care teams are empowered with a suite of advanced features designed to enhance data reliability and reduce provider workload.
Advanced Data Reliability:
Device Education - Patients are guided through best practices for taking their blood pressure readings via easy-to-follow visual instructions.
Example: A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that nearly one-third of patients taking blood pressure readings at home were doing so incorrectly, leading to unreliable data. Many patients in the study had improper cuff placement, incorrect posture, or didn’t rest before taking a measurement, resulting in readings that were higher than their true blood pressure. This can lead to unnecessary treatment changes or medication adjustments. With BPM Pro 2, the Device Education feature ensures that patients are given visual guidance directly on the device, showing them how to properly sit, place the cuff, and remain still during the measurement process. This not only leads to more accurate data but also reduces the burden on providers who would otherwise have to troubleshoot or repeat readings
Retake Measure - The device can be configured to automatically cue the patients to retake their blood pressure if it hits a certain predetermined threshold.
Example: Imagine a patient takes their blood pressure after a stressful phone call or strenuous activity, resulting in an unusually high reading. With the Retake Alert, if the blood pressure reading exceeds a set threshold, BPM Pro 2 will prompt the patient to wait and retake the measurement after a brief rest period. This feature helps ensure that providers receive more accurate readings and reduces unnecessary calls to the care team, ultimately saving time and preventing undue patient anxiety.
Patient Insights - With Patient Insights, simple and customized questions can be asked to patients on the screen of the device to capture additional information such as symptoms, medication adherence, sleep patterns, and screening questionnaires.
Example: After a blood pressure reading, the device may ask, “Did you take your blood pressure medication today?” or “Have you experienced any headaches or dizziness?” This data provides care teams with a more complete understanding of the patient’s condition, helping them differentiate between routine fluctuations and signs of more serious health events.
Elevated Patient Experience
BPM Pro 2 elevates the patient experience through a range of thoughtfully designed features. It offers personalized health nudges, allowing care teams to send motivational messages at key moments in the patient’s health journey. For example, a patient who has consistently measured their blood pressure for a week may receive a congratulatory message, boosting their engagement with their treatment plan. The device’s bold text and color-coded feedback system make results easy to interpret, particularly for older adults or those with vision impairments, by turning red when blood pressure is elevated.
With seamless connectivity, BPM Pro 2 automatically sends data to care teams via cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth—perfect for patients in rural areas or without smartphones. Its elegant design and compact carrying case empower patients to take the device on the go, reducing the feeling of being burdened by a medical device. The inclusion of interchangeable XL cuffs ensures accurate readings for patients of all sizes, preventing inaccurate readings due to improper fit. With a long battery life lasting up to six months, patients can confidently stay on top of their health without frequent recharging concerns.
Why BPM Pro 2 Matters for Providers and Patients
BPM Pro 2 is designed to make remote patient monitoring more accessible, reliable, and patient-centric. It addresses key pain points in remote healthcare, enabling providers to gather more accurate data with less effort, while patients experience a more user-friendly and engaging tool. This improved engagement fosters better adherence to care plans and leads to improved outcomes for managing chronic heart conditions like hypertension and heart failure.
With BPM Pro 2, patients not only capture vital data like blood pressure and heart rate—they also gain insights into what their readings mean. Providers, in turn, receive more comprehensive information to tailor interventions and improve the quality of care. This dual empowerment creates a more collaborative healthcare experience, ensuring that both patients and providers have the tools they need for success.
Learn more about BPM Pro 2
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Healthcare providers can benefit from high-precision remote monitoring tools like cellular connected scales and blood pressure monitors that offer daily insight into a patient’s weight, BMI, body composition, heart rate, blood pressure and more. With more reliable and consistent patient data, care teams can make more informed decisions about a patient’s GLP-1 medication dosage and overall care plan.
Challenges Surrounding Cardiovascular Health
Right now, only one in four adults in the U.S. with hypertension (defined as blood pressure consistently above 130/80 mm Hg) has the condition well managed. Care teams have long struggled to find effective means to help their patients achieve better blood pressure control. It’s a challenge due to patients’ lack of adherence to long-term medication use, as well as difficulties in identifying poor blood pressure control and modifying therapy accordingly.
Healthcare providers already prescribe a range of medications, including diuretics, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors, to help patients get their blood pressure into a safe range. Safely administering blood pressure medications – with or without the addition of GLP-1s – is a balancing act. Even in the best of circumstances, patients often need dose adjustments.
Though titration of hypertension medication has been based on in-office blood pressure measurements, this has proven to be inadequate. Readings in an office setting may be artificially elevated due to white coat syndrome. In fact, the fallibility of these measurements led the International Society of Hypertension to recommend that hypertension diagnosis be confirmed by out–of-office blood pressure monitoring.
Even if in-office readings were 100% accurate, it’s simply not practical for patients to come to the office for daily monitoring to see how they’re adjusting to blood pressure medication.
The Value of Remote Biomarker Monitoring
While emerging therapies like GLP-1s hold the promise of reducing blood pressure, they’re not yet approved specifically for that purpose. Plus, studies have found that some GLP-1 medications may increase a patient’s heart rate.The novelty and uncertainty surrounding the effects of GLP-1s highlight the value of long-term at-home monitoring of weight, blood pressure, and other daily biomarkers under real-world conditions. This ensures that care teams can promptly access necessary data for timely intervention.
In addition, health programs can analyze the data they collect from in-home devices and produce robust research demonstrating the value of their program and GLP-1 treatment approach. Continuous remote monitoring not only equips healthcare professionals with the insights needed for precise decision-making — it also lays the groundwork for pioneering developments in personalized medicine and proactive health management strategies.
With more advanced monitoring devices that go beyond biomarker tracking, patients can receive automated messages and alerts from their care teams based on their daily measurements.These notifications appear on the screen of their medical device and may celebrate a milestone or serve as a medication or appointment reminder.
Fortunately, nearly a quarter of Americans are already using monitoring technology to help with motivation and accountability for health goals. Incorporating patient monitoring technology takes this one step further.
Finding an Accurate, Insightful Solution
Kristin Baier, MD, VP of Clinical Development at Calibrate, a leading clinician-guided and value-based obesity treatment program, expressed the need to ensure safety and appropriate weight loss rates for patients on GLP-1 medication who are remotely monitored by healthcare providers. She noted the challenge of not being able to physically assess health metrics like weight and blood pressure without patients visiting a clinic and wanted to ensure the seamless transfer of data into the company’s electronic medical records for long-term tracking. Remotely monitoring patients allows care program providers, like Calibrate, to deliver effective, high-quality medical care to their members over time so that they can successfully analyze trends and tailor recommendations to ensure sustainable results.
High-precision remote monitoring responds to this concern and rises to the challenge, as it provides:
Accurate and consistent collection of blood pressure, weight, body composition, and other key metrics from the comfort of the patient’s home
Automatic transmission of this data to the patient’s care team
Swift provider insight into patient well-being so patterns can be identified and medications or care plans can be adjusted
Better patient/provider communication and shared-decision making
Moving Forward
In this new era of GLP-1 medications, official scientific guidelines from organizations such as the ADA, EASD, AACE, ACC, and AHA recommend regular monitoring of blood pressure in patients on GLP-1 therapies as part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management. Remote monitoring will also enable expanded research into the impact of GLP-1s on heart health, offering promising avenues for innovative chronic condition management strategies.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is informational and for content marketing purposes only. It should not be construed as medical advice. The content herein is not intended to replace professional medical consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. We expressly recommend that individuals seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional before considering the use of GLP-1 medications for the treatment of obesity or any other condition.
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Background
Kennedy Community Health Center
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (Kennedy Community Health) is a Community Health Center serving over 90 communities across Central and MetroWest Massachusetts. They provide comprehensive care to over 31,000 patients supporting their mission to “help people live healthier lives.” Kennedy serves a very diverse patient population, speaking 83 languages, many of which have complex chronic health conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension (HTN). In January 2022, they initiated a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Program for HTN leveraging a HRSA grant, utilizing Withings BPM Connect Pro blood pressure monitors and RPM platform. They aimed to enroll 350 patients over 2-3 years, which they quickly surpassed. Their strategic implementation and consistent focus on compassionate, patient-centered care has showcased significant benefits in improving patient outcomes.
More than
500 patients
enrolled over 2 years
To access the full asset, please enter your contact information below and we will send it to your inbox.
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[post_title] => Enhancing Patient Outcomes: The Success of Kennedy Community Health's Remote Monitoring Program
[post_excerpt] => Kennedy Health Center partnered with Withings Health Solutions to implement a remote patient monitoring program that reduced patient systolic blood pressure over time.
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BPM Pro 2 is advancing remote blood pressure monitoring as a first-of-its-kind device complete with exclusive features for increased patient engagement and data reliability. This device makes it easy for patients to not only capture their blood pressure and heart rate but for care teams to have better insights into what these readings mean.
Addressing Challenges in Remote Patient Monitoring Accurate at-home blood pressure monitoring can be difficult. Patients might take readings under improper conditions—crossed legs, just after physical activity, or without sufficient rest—leading to inaccurate data and unnecessary concern. This not only frustrates patients but also increases provider workloads as they deal with troubleshooting and sifting through inconsistent readings.
Remote monitoring can also be resource-intensive for care teams. Providers often spend valuable time reminding patients to take measurements or trying to understand what's driving abnormal blood pressure readings without sufficient context.
How BPM Pro 2 Elevates Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring With BPM Pro 2, both patients and care teams are empowered with a suite of advanced features designed to enhance data reliability and reduce provider workload.
Advanced Data Reliability:
Device Education - Patients are guided through best practices for taking their blood pressure readings via easy-to-follow visual instructions.
Example: A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that nearly one-third of patients taking blood pressure readings at home were doing so incorrectly, leading to unreliable data. Many patients in the study had improper cuff placement, incorrect posture, or didn’t rest before taking a measurement, resulting in readings that were higher than their true blood pressure. This can lead to unnecessary treatment changes or medication adjustments. With BPM Pro 2, the Device Education feature ensures that patients are given visual guidance directly on the device, showing them how to properly sit, place the cuff, and remain still during the measurement process. This not only leads to more accurate data but also reduces the burden on providers who would otherwise have to troubleshoot or repeat readings
Retake Measure - The device can be configured to automatically cue the patients to retake their blood pressure if it hits a certain predetermined threshold.
Example: Imagine a patient takes their blood pressure after a stressful phone call or strenuous activity, resulting in an unusually high reading. With the Retake Alert, if the blood pressure reading exceeds a set threshold, BPM Pro 2 will prompt the patient to wait and retake the measurement after a brief rest period. This feature helps ensure that providers receive more accurate readings and reduces unnecessary calls to the care team, ultimately saving time and preventing undue patient anxiety.
Patient Insights - With Patient Insights, simple and customized questions can be asked to patients on the screen of the device to capture additional information such as symptoms, medication adherence, sleep patterns, and screening questionnaires.
Example: After a blood pressure reading, the device may ask, “Did you take your blood pressure medication today?” or “Have you experienced any headaches or dizziness?” This data provides care teams with a more complete understanding of the patient’s condition, helping them differentiate between routine fluctuations and signs of more serious health events.
Elevated Patient Experience
BPM Pro 2 elevates the patient experience through a range of thoughtfully designed features. It offers personalized health nudges, allowing care teams to send motivational messages at key moments in the patient’s health journey. For example, a patient who has consistently measured their blood pressure for a week may receive a congratulatory message, boosting their engagement with their treatment plan. The device’s bold text and color-coded feedback system make results easy to interpret, particularly for older adults or those with vision impairments, by turning red when blood pressure is elevated.
With seamless connectivity, BPM Pro 2 automatically sends data to care teams via cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth—perfect for patients in rural areas or without smartphones. Its elegant design and compact carrying case empower patients to take the device on the go, reducing the feeling of being burdened by a medical device. The inclusion of interchangeable XL cuffs ensures accurate readings for patients of all sizes, preventing inaccurate readings due to improper fit. With a long battery life lasting up to six months, patients can confidently stay on top of their health without frequent recharging concerns.
Why BPM Pro 2 Matters for Providers and Patients
BPM Pro 2 is designed to make remote patient monitoring more accessible, reliable, and patient-centric. It addresses key pain points in remote healthcare, enabling providers to gather more accurate data with less effort, while patients experience a more user-friendly and engaging tool. This improved engagement fosters better adherence to care plans and leads to improved outcomes for managing chronic heart conditions like hypertension and heart failure.
With BPM Pro 2, patients not only capture vital data like blood pressure and heart rate—they also gain insights into what their readings mean. Providers, in turn, receive more comprehensive information to tailor interventions and improve the quality of care. This dual empowerment creates a more collaborative healthcare experience, ensuring that both patients and providers have the tools they need for success.
