The American Medical Group Foundation (AMGF) has released the results of a pilot study led by its Measure Up/Pressure Down campaign to combat hypertension. The study showed an improvement in blood pressure control rates from 38.6% to 70.0% over an 18-month period.
How did they achieve this improvement? 150 patients were given a Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor by their healthcare providers. The monitors connect to either an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. Patients took their blood pressure on a regular basis, and the results were sent wirelessly to the healthcare team in real-time, using a dedicated web portal. This data was reviewed, and changes in treatment or office visits were scheduled when the need was indicated.
While the results are based on “an observational study” and not up to clinical study standards, the results were clearly positive. The patient surveys at the end of the project indicated that many of them felt that more in control of their health, and that they were able to see improvements in their blood pressure levels while in the program. The remote monitoring of patients shows great promise for early detection and intervention of health problems, and lower costs for healthcare in general.
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