UC Davis Health has launched a new program to monitor patients with high blood pressure at home, and the health system is collaborating with Best Buy Health to support the effort.of Home care platform, Current Health.
Patients use connected devices such as blood pressure cuffs and weight scales. Readings from the devices are sent to the Current Health platform and also forwarded to the patient’s UC Davis Health electronic medical record. All readings sent from the patient’s home can be accessed in real time through the UC Davis Health Connected Care Center.
At the UC Davis Connected Care Center, a team of physicians, pharmacists, registered nurses and medical assistants work together to keep patients’ blood pressure within a healthy range.
“Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, which is responsible for 145 million emergency department visits across the U.S. each year,” said David Lubarsky, vice chancellor and CEO of Human Health Sciences at UC Davis Health. “This collaboration is an example of how we are finding innovative ways to make health care more convenient and accessible for patients, while also working to reduce health care costs by preventing hospital readmissions and unnecessary visits.”
In the first few weeks of the new monitoring program, UC Davis Health has already enrolled several patients, and with as many as 100,000 people diagnosed with high blood pressure, the program could have a significant impact.
Benefits of telecare programs for patients
Connected care center teams will be able to remotely monitor patients’ vital signs, symptoms, and other health indicators, facilitating early detection and intervention of health issues.
Additionally, the program offers patients group classes, one-on-one coaching, and medication support, with doctor intervention if needed. The program runs for 90 days.
“Our integrated approach ensures patients receive real-time blood pressure monitoring and clinical support,” said Bruce Hall, chief clinical officer for UC Davis Medicine. “This collaboration is another example of how we are exploring innovative ways to make health care more convenient and accessible for all patients, no matter who they are or where they live.”
According to the American Medical Association, high blood pressure is responsible for approximately 860,000 deaths from heart disease each year.
“This cutting-edge, digitally-enabled model transforms traditional one-to-one care into one-to-many care – improving patient outcomes, patient and physician experience, and addressing healthcare worker shortages and physician burnout,” explains Vimal Mishra, associate chief medical officer, UC Davis Medicine. “We aim to expand this innovative approach to other medical conditions to drive continued improvements in patient health.”
A Culture of Innovation
Over the past year, the medical center has also created remote patient monitoring programs for patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and post-angioplasty care.
“This effort demonstrates our approach to open innovation, integrating the latest digital and AI technologies into a unified Digital Davis platform,” said Ashish Atreja, chief information officer and chief digital health officer at UC Davis Health, “and ensures transformation at scale across all patients and specialties.”
In the coming months, UC Davis Health and Best Buy Health plan to expand their collaboration to support patients with other chronic conditions. These efforts will create a more equitable, accessible and affordable continuous monitoring experience across UC Davis Health.
“Our work with UC Davis is a great example of how Best Buy Health is helping connect everyone to care in their own home through a leading health system,” said Diana Gelston, chief commercial officer at Best Buy Health. “Our collaboration with UC Davis is focused on helping patients with chronic conditions better manage their health, and we’re excited to expand these capabilities to bring digital solutions and services to even more patients.”
Other UC Davis contributors to the Blood Pressure Remote Patient Monitoring program include:
- Michael Condlin, interim chief administrator and chief operating officer for hospitals at UC Davis Medical Center;
- BJ Lagunday, executive director of outpatient services and population health
