Increase seen in hypertension medication fills, days’ supply, and unique medications received, but increase in HTN-linked spending also seen<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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TUESDAY, Nov. 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Patients with hypertension at high remote patient monitoring (RPM) practices have improved hypertension care, but also have increased hypertension-related spending, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Mitchell Tang, from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and colleagues estimated the effect of RPM on hypertension care and spending in a matched observational study. Changes in outcomes were compared from 2019 to 2021 for patients with hypertension at high-RPM practices (192 practices, with 19,978 patients with hypertension) versus those at matched low-RPM control practices (942 practices, with 95,029 patients with hypertension).<\/p>\n The researchers found that patients with hypertension at high-RPM practices had a 3.3 percent relative increase in hypertension medication fills, a 1.6 percent increase in days’ supply, and a 1.3 percent increase in unique medications received compared with those at low-RPM practices. Fewer hypertension-related acute care encounters (\u00e2\u0088\u00929.3 percent) and reduced testing use (\u00e2\u0088\u00925.9 percent) were also seen for patients at high-RPM practices. Increases in primary care physician outpatient visits (7.2 percent) and a $274 increase in total hypertension spending were also seen for patients at high-RPM practices.<\/p>\n “Our findings point to targeted patient eligibility and time-varying reimbursement as potential levers to explore for improving the value of RPM use for hypertension,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n