Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Blogs
    • AI
    • Deals
    • Layoff Tracker
    • HIMSS 2023
  • Opinion
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 40 Under 40
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - AI and Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
  • Data & Insights
    • Data & Insights Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Safety & Quality
October 15, 2021 02:35 PM

Mobile tools may manage hypertension, study finds

Steven Ross Johnson
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Better BP Page_i.jpg

    Mobile apps may help patients with hypertension manage their blood pressure levels over the long term, according to a new study, but more evidence is needed to determine if such tools can address longstanding health gaps among more vulnerable patients.

    Using a blood pressure monitor paired with a smartphone app that provided medication reminders and lifestyle coaching was associated with lowering blood pressure levels in more than 85% of adults with stage 2 hypertension after one year. Those who participated for three years had a mean sys`tolic blood pressure reduction of 20.9 mmHG and maintained lower levels over the study period.

    The study, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, marks the first peer-reviewed, multi-year analysis that could potentially offer some insight on the long-term efficacy of digital blood pressure management tools.

    "The level of engagement is something I have not seen in other digital hypertension management programs.," said study lead author Dr. Alexis Beatty, a cardiologist and associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine in a released statement. "Sustained engagement and decreases in systolic blood pressure of more than 20 mmHg could reduce a person's chances of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death."

    The study tracked blood pressure levels and the level of engagement in the self-management program among more than 28,000 patients with elevated blood pressure or hypertension between 2015 and 2020.

    The company that created the hypertension self-management program used for the study, Hello Heart, commissioned the analysis and participated in the study's design. Two of the study's authors are employed by the company.

    Both the app and the blue-tooth enabled blood pressure cuff were provided to study participants' through their employer-based, health insurance plan.

    Researchers found adults with high levels of engagement with the app had lower blood pressure over the study period compared to those with medium and low engagement. But the study found an association with a reduction in blood pressure for most users at any level of engagement with the program even after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic conditions, and behavioral factors.

    The findings echo previous studies that suggest mobile apps could be useful in chronic disease management.

    An estimated 47% of adults in the U.S. have hypertension, according to the American Heart Association, yet only 22% of individuals with hypertension have adequate control of their blood pressure levels.

    What remains uncertain is what role mobile health technologies may ultimately play toward addressing the disparities in chronic health conditions outcomes that persist among some of the most vulnerable patient groups. Many marginalized communities, including ethnic and racial minorities, are more likely to get diagnosed for chronic diseases when they are already at more advanced stages, making them more difficult to treat or manage successfully.

    Study authors noted one of the limitations was the lack of diversity within the pool of participants despite the large sample size. The study population was made up of middle-aged, adults with employer-based health insurance. A July study published in the journal npj Digital Medicine identified only 25 studies on the efficacy of mobile health tools that included older populations, those with limited education, or minority populations.

    Researchers of the new study acknowledged their results may not extend to safety-net and older populations.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    QUALITY OFFICER
    NCQA health plan quality ratings include new equity measure
    Hospital with money
    More hospitals to be charged readmissions penalties: CMS
    Most Popular
    1
    Centene to lay off 2,000 workers
    2
    How health systems are battling price-gouging allegations
    3
    Senate advances bill to temporarily aid hospitals, health centers
    4
    Elevance, Blue Cross Louisiana halt $2.5B proposed deal
    5
    Tower Health to sell urgent care centers, close others
    Sponsored Content
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Blogs
      • AI
      • Deals
      • Layoff Tracker
      • HIMSS 2023
    • Opinion
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • 40 Under 40
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - AI and Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
      • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
    • Data & Insights
      • Data & Insights Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing