Instead of relying on doctor's office visits every few weeks, the health system's new program prompts virtual visits whenever blood pressure is uncontrolled.
AdventHealth is launching a remote patient monitoring (RPM) program to treat high blood pressure earlier and more consistently.
High blood pressure can lead to life-threatening medical conditions, including heart attack and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, the AHA says.
The standard of care for hypertension at most health systems, hospitals, and physician practices is for a patient to see their doctor in an office visit every few weeks, according to Jeffrey Kuhlman, MD, MPH, senior vice president as well as chief quality and safety officer at AdventHealth.
The health system's new hypertension program, which will launch this summer, is designed to make a leap forward in the standard of care for high blood pressure.
"Today, it is frustrating that people with high blood pressure only see their doctor every few weeks, when they get one office blood pressure reading," Kuhlman says. "What this new program helps us do is not only get the blood pressure readings at home as part of remote patient monitoring but also take that information and automatically upload it to the patient's electronic medical record."
Patients are trained to use the home-based blood pressure device, which sends remote patient monitoring data to AdventHealth's EMR via a Wi-Fi or cellular service connection.
"When patients get the blood pressure monitor, there is a QR code on the device that they can scan with a smartphone and access YouTube videos that are designed for adults with no medical training," Kuhlman says. "Patients can learn how to use the blood pressure monitor in a minute or two."
Patients also receive written instructions, which are crafted at a third grade reading level and available in several languages other than English.
Jeffrey Kuhlman, MD, MPH, is senior vice president as well as chief quality and safety officer at AdventHealth. Photo courtesy of AdventHealth.
The hypertension program includes an AI tool that analyzes the RPM data.
"If the blood pressure readings are in the normal range, AI will recognize this and send information to the patient and their physician that blood pressure is controlled," Kuhlman says. "If the blood pressure readings are out of control, the patient and their treatment team will be notified and a virtual visit arranged. Critical readings will also be identified and responded to quickly."
Virtual visits, which will be held via video conferencing or telephone at the patient's convenience, will be staffed by nurse practitioners or medication-treatment-management pharmacists who are trained to care for hypertension patients. This care is part of their medical license and their area of specialty for which they maintain certification, Kuhlman explains.
"There are also guidelines from the American Heart Association that they follow," Kuhlman says. "There are clinical pathways that are available to themโit is the same information that is available through our nurse hotlines on these evidence-based pathways."
The hypertension program will strengthen the relationship between patients and their care teams.
"All of the interactions with the care team are documented in AdventHealth's electronic medical record, whether the patient goes to a doctor's office, goes to the emergency room, or has a virtual visit," Kuhlman says. "This program is an extension of the patient's primary care team, which strengthens that relationship."
The hypertension program reflects AdventHealth's focus on proactive care, according to Kuhlman.
"Chronic disease conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or heart failure need to be more aggressively and proactively monitored and treated," Kuhlman says. "This is a large-scale project for thousands of patients to address controlling hypertension with remote patient monitoring and virtual extended care in conjunction with the primary care team."
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The new hypertension program features remote patient monitoring (RPM), with an AI tool observing the data.
If the AI tool notices that a patient's blood pressure has risen beyond normal parameters, a virtual visit is scheduled with a nurse practitioner or medication-treatment-management pharmacist.
Nurse practitioners and pharmacists are an extension of the patient's primary care team, which strengthens the relationship between patients and their care teams.