High blood pressure is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States, with nearly half of adults carrying a diagnosis of hypertension. So it makes sense that UC Davis Health has joined the growing number of health systems seeking to help patients monitor their blood pressure at home.
To support the new initiative, UC Davis Health is working with Best Buy’s care-at-home platform Current Health.
Patients will use connected devices including blood pressure cuffs and scales. Readings from the devices will be sent to the Current Health platform and also transferred to the patient’s UC Davis Health electronic medical chart. All readings sent from the patient’s home can be accessed by the UC Davis Health Connected Care Center in real time.
At the UC Davis Connected Care Center, a team that includes a physician, pharmacist, registered nurse and medical assistant will respond. They will work with patients to keep their blood pressure within a healthy range.
In the past year, the medical center has also created remote patient monitoring programs for patients suffering from heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and post-angioplasty care.
“Nearly half of the adults in the United States have hypertension. This results in 145 million emergency department visits across the U.S. each year due to elevated blood pressure,” said David Lubarsky, M.D., M.B.A, vice chancellor of human health sciences and CEO of UC Davis Health, in a statement. “This collaboration is an example of how we are finding innovative ways to make healthcare more convenient and accessible for our patients — as we also work to reduce healthcare costs by preventing hospital readmissions and unnecessary visits.”
During the first few weeks of the new monitoring program, UC Davis Health has already enrolled several patients. With a population of 100,000 patients diagnosed with hypertension, this program has the potential to make a significant impact.
The Connected Care Center team will be able to remotely monitor patient vital signs, symptoms, and other health indicators. This will facilitate early detection of health issues and intervention.
In addition, the program will offer patients group classes, one-on-one coaching and support with medication. If necessary, physicians will also intervene. The program runs for 90 days.
“Our integrated approach will provide patients with blood pressure monitoring and clinical support in real-time,” said Bruce Hall, M.D.. Ph.D., M.B.A., chief clinical officer for UC Davis Health, in a statement. “This collaboration is another example of how we are finding innovative ways to make health care more convenient, and more accessible to every patient, no matter who they are or where they live.”
“This leading-edge, digitally enabled model transforms traditional one-to-one care into one-to-many care. It improves patient outcomes, patient and clinician experience and tackles healthcare worker shortages and clinician burnout,” explained Vimal Mishra, M.D., associate chief medical officer at UC Davis Health, in a statement. “We aim to expand this innovative approach to other conditions, driving continuous improvement in patient health.”
In the coming months, UC Davis Health and Best Buy Health plan to expand the collaboration to support patients with additional chronic diseases. These efforts will create a more equitable, accessible and affordable continuous monitoring experience across UC Davis Health.
