Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare > Volume 15, Number 6 > Pp. 281-285

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RESEARCH Original articles

Feasibility of blood pressure telemonitoring in patients with poor blood pressure control

Felicia McCant ^* , Gwendolyn McKoy ^*, Janet Grubber ^* , Maren K Olsen ^* , Eugene Oddone ^* , Benjamin Powers ^*  and Hayden B Bosworth ^*  

^* Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham VAMC, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences & Center for Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Correspondence: Felicia McCant, Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Duke University, 2424 Erwin Road, Hock Plaza, Ste 11021, Durham, NC 27703, USA (Fax: +1 919 668 1300; Email: mccan008{at}mc.duke.edu)

We examined the feasibility of using home blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring devices for managing patients with poor BP control. We enrolled 591 subjects with a diagnosis of hypertension. Patients were randomized to usual care (n = 147) or to the intervention arm (n = 441). Those in the intervention arm were issued with a home BP telemonitoring device. The device transmitted BP readings automatically via the home telephone line. Technical alerts were generated if patients did not transmit their BP readings according to the protocol. During the first six months, 693 technical alerts were generated by 267 patients. About half of these patients (112) generated more than two technical alerts. Resolution of the alerts showed that 61% were caused by patient non-adherence. Patients who generated >2 technical alerts were younger (61 vs. 64 years; P = 0.001) and were more likely to be non-Caucasian (64% vs. 47%, P = 0.002) than those generating 2 or fewer alerts. Despite the potential for improving health care using home BP telemonitoring, certain patients will require more support to use the equipment successfully.

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