What You Should Know:
– A new independent evaluation from the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) has found that digital hypertension solutions focused on medication management deliver the most significant improvements in blood pressure control compared to other digital approaches and usual care.
– The report highlights the effectiveness of digital solutions that combine connected blood pressure cuffs with virtual care teams to manage medication and dosing. These solutions were found to produce rapid and clinically meaningful improvements in blood pressure, outperforming solutions that focus solely on home monitoring or behavior change.
Addressing a Common Chronic Condition
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a widespread health issue in the United States, affecting nearly half of all adults. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to serious health complications, making effective management crucial.
Evaluating Digital Hypertension Solutions
PHTI’s analysis evaluated various digital hypertension solutions across three categories:
- Blood pressure monitoring solutions: Focus on home monitoring and data sharing with providers.
- Medication management solutions: Utilize virtual care teams to support medication adjustments.
- Behavior change solutions: Deliver educational content and virtual interactions to encourage healthy lifestyle changes.
The evaluation found that medication management solutions demonstrated the most significant improvements in blood pressure control and long-term cost savings.
Why Medication Management Matters
Digital medication management solutions provide patients with the support they need to effectively manage their hypertension. These solutions typically include:
- Remote Monitoring: Connected blood pressure cuffs allow patients to monitor their blood pressure at home and share data with their care team.
- Virtual Care Teams: Dedicated healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists or nurses, provide personalized support and medication adjustments as needed.
- AI-Powered Insights: AI algorithms analyze patient data to identify trends and provide recommendations for optimizing medication regimens.
While all digital hypertension solutions initially increase healthcare spending compared to usual care, those focused on medication management are projected to generate long-term net savings. By improving blood pressure control, these solutions can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as stroke and heart attack, ultimately lowering healthcare costs over time.
Key findings of the report include:
- Superior Clinical Outcomes: Digital medication management solutions lead to the most significant improvements in blood pressure control.
- Long-Term Cost Savings: These solutions offer the potential for long-term cost savings by reducing the risk of cardiovascular complications.
- Broader Adoption Recommended: The report supports wider adoption of digital medication management solutions for hypertension.
- Purchaser Considerations: Purchasers of healthcare services should prioritize long-term health outcomes and cost savings when evaluating digital hypertension solutions.
“Too many people are living with uncontrolled hypertension, but there are effective digital solutions to help patients improve their cardiovascular health, save lives, and lower spending over the long run,” said Caroline Pearson, executive director of PHTI. “Digital medication management solutions support healthcare providers with virtual teams to monitor blood pressure and adjust medications to help bring patients into control within months rather than years.”
