Hypertension Awareness Month: Management and Treatment with Remote Patient Monitoring

May is High Blood Pressure Education Month, which highlights the importance of monitoring blood pressure to keep hypertension under control. This month also brings awareness to the one billion people in the world living with high blood pressure, and how they can better manage and treat it.

High blood pressure, aka hypertension, occurs when somebody’s systolic blood pressure is consistently above 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure is consistently above 90 mm Hg. It’s also the #1 risk factor for various other issues, such as heart disease, stroke, renal complications, and premature death.

Because of this associated risk, it is critical for patients to have their blood pressure measurements taken at each doctor's visit, and for them to regularly check their blood pressure at home. If diagnosed with high blood pressure, treatments can be as simple as lifestyle changes (healthy eating, exercising, limiting alcohol, no smoking) or taking blood pressure medications.

However, no matter the treatment route, clinicians and patients alike can use healthcare technology to manage and treat hypertension.

Managing and Treating Hypertension with Remote Patient Monitoring

As the prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases increases, the cost for treatment is also continually on the rise. One way to control and reduce hypertension includes remote patient monitoring, which providers use to monitor, manage and treat acute and chronic conditions. Connected blood pressure devices allow patients to measure their own blood pressure at home and clinicians to monitor the results 24/7. Understanding a patient’s health outside of the doctor’s office is pertinent to delivering the best possible care and achieving optimal outcomes.

By offering a FHIR-enabled remote patient monitoring tool, Rimidi brings patient-generated blood pressure data into the clinical workflow and displays it in the context of other clinically relevant information like latest labs, screenings, and current diagnoses and medications.

Rimidi’s Approach to Chronic Disease Management

Rimidi's cardiovascular disease view combines clinical data from the EHR (i.e., diagnoses, lab results, screenings) with patient-generated data from connected devices like scales and blood pressure cuffs to present a holistic view of patients with hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. In addition to aggregating patient-generated data, Rimidi calculates a 10-year ASCVD risk score to support risk stratification and population health management. By offering patient ASCVD risk scores, clinicians can use them to calculate risk of other comorbidities such as heart attack or stroke.

Patients can use Rimidi’s remote patient monitoring to take a more active role in their healthcare, enabling clinicians to provide better overall management and treatment of hypertension and driving the best health outcomes possible.
To learn more about Rimidi’s Cardiovascular Disease platform, contact our team or request a demo today.