Abstract P333: Self-measured Blood Pressure Monitoring During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Persons Living In Rural Areas

Abstract

Self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP) plus clinical support can help control blood pressure among people with hypertension. The COVID-19 pandemic drove increased telehealth use, presenting an opportunity for increased SMBP use among groups with limited healthcare access. This study examined changes in the use and electronic reporting of SMBP among US adults aged ≥18 years with hypertension living in rural areas by race and ethnicity. With data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2019 and 2021, we used weighted Poisson regression to estimate the annual prevalence of adults with hypertension who reported using SMBP and who reported sharing SMBP results by phone or Internet. For each race and ethnicity and outcome, we estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) comparing 2021 to 2019, adjusted for age group, income, insurance status, sex, and education. The prevalence of SMBP use did not significantly change for any race or ethnicity from 2019 to 2021 (Figure). White, Black, and Hispanic adults reported SMBP measurements electronically more in 2021 than 2019 (aPR [95% CI]: 1.5 [1.1-1.9], 2.7 [1.2-6.0], 3.9 [1.7-9.0], respectively). Prevalence of electronic reporting among adults living in rural areas remained low in 2021, ranging from 10.5% in adults of other races to 21.7% in Hispanic adults. Despite changes that helped SMBP implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, SMBP use did not change; electronic reporting increased but remained rare. Because SMBP can make blood pressure control more convenient and accessible, additional policies and programs can facilitate SMBP implementation, especially among populations with limited healthcare access.