Effectiveness of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring, Web Communication, and Pharmacist Care on Hypertension Control

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.¹ Almost 1 in 3 US adults has hypertension, defined as a sustained systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) of 140 and 90 mm Hg or higher, respectively.^2,3 Lowering BP with antihypertensive medications decreases mortality and major disability from cardiovascular and renal disease. Hypertension, however, remains inadequately treated in the majority of affected individuals.^4-6 In recent meta-analyses^7,8 of quality-improvement strategies to lower BP, those targeting patients (education and self-monitoring) or adding a health care team member, such as a nurse or a pharmacist, to focus specifically on hypertension had the largest reductions in BP. Optimal methods for integrating these strategies into routine care were less certain.