Abstract 38: Digital Strategies for Controlling High Blood Pressure

Abstract

Background: The 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline recommends use of telehealth and other digital strategies to accurately diagnose and treat high blood pressure (HBP). While these recommendations are based on robust evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of digital health interventions for HBP management, physician practices and healthcare systems are uncertain as to how best to put these into practice. Furthermore, “telehealth” by itself is an enabling technology, not a stand-alone quality improvement strategy. Hence, it is important to implement those guideline-based interventions delivered via telehealth technologies with the highest quality of evidence to make a significant impact on the effective diagnosis and management of patients with HBP. Session objectives: From this presentation, attendees can 1) Recognize benefits and challenges of deploying digital technologies used to measure and control HBP, 2) Explain how the best evidence for proper use of digital technologies enables key patient interventions to diagnose and treat HBP 3) Describe how implementation of the AHA/AMA “ Target: BP ” initiative promotes guideline-based care enabled by digital technologies 4) Demonstrate how the use of the AMA Digital Health Implementation Playbook supports successful implementation of a HBP control strategy that addresses the needs of both physicians and patients. Approach: The presenters will 1) Summarize the 2017 ACC/AHA recommendations for telehealth in HBP management, which are based upon systematic evidence reviews 2) Discuss the AHA/AMA Target: BP initiative , a quality improvement program to improve HBP control tested in 16 physician practices ( with16,000 patients; this will include description of key components of the performance improvement program and summary of evidence for its effectiveness; 3) Provide an overview of the AMA Digital Health Implementation Playbook, developed with input from over 80 stakeholders with experience implementing digital health solutions; 4) Describe key steps to implementing a practice-based digital strategy for HBP management outlined by the Playbook; and 5) Summarize current related Medicare and Commercial payment policies for digital health services. Conclusions: To more effectively engage patients in managing HBP, healthcare teams must incorporate guideline-based clinical interventions enabled by digital solutions such as telehealth to optimize BP control in their patient populations. Utilizing practical guidance from the AMA/AHA Target: BP improvement program and the AMA Digital Health Implementation Playbook, healthcare providers are best positioned to deliver telehealth-enabled optimal BP care consistent with the ACC/AHA 2017 Hypertension Guidelines.