Home-Based Remote Patient Monitoring Yields Highly Accurate BP Readings

Home-based blood pressure (BP) measurements were more reliable and accurate than those taken in clinics or kiosks, a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found. 

The study included 510 participants between 18 and 85 years old from 12 Washington State-based primary care centers. These participants were divided equally into one of three groups: clinic, home, or kiosk-based methods of BP measurement.

The clinic group had their BP measured during follow-up care, while the home group had their BP measured twice a day for five days, and the kiosk group three times a day for three days. All participants also completed 24-hour ambulatory monitoring (ABPM) at three weeks follow-up.

Researchers defined the study's primary objective as examining the potential difference between ABPM systolic BP results and those of the three groups.

The study showed different results for each of the three groups. The clinic group showed a -4.7mmHg mean difference in systolic BP as compared to ABPM, the home group a -0.1mmHg mean contrast, and the kiosk group a 9.5mmHg mean difference.

This shows a high level of accuracy in the systolic BP measurement of members of the home monitoring group. The low and high results of the clinic and kiosk group indicate an inadequate or excessive level of sensitivity for detecting hypertension.

These results indicate that home BP monitoring has substantial credibility compared to clinic- and kiosk-based settings. But to further enhance BP measurements, addressing the detection of excessive or weak hypertension is necessary, researchers said.

But there are various limitations to the study that could have affected data. Obtaining participants from a single healthcare organization could have produced skewed results since they were all receiving the same type of care. Lack of variation in the race and ethnicity of participants could have also affected the data.

Previous research shows that remote BP monitoring and control protocols are highly effective.

For example, a recent study indicated that remote blood pressure monitoring resulted in high patient engagement and increased patient outreach.

Providers, including safety-net facilities, are increasingly using remote patient monitoring to improve hypertension care. In North Carolina, a federally qualified health center partnered with a company specializing in remote patient monitoring to assist over 2,500 individuals living with hypertension improve their blood pressure control.

Innovative remote patient monitoring devices are also being developed. Engineers from the University of Missouri created a finger clip to monitor blood pressure for patients with heart conditions.