Survey Shows Hypertension Patients Find Merit in RPM Technology

As the number of U.S. hypertension cases continues to rise, so does the use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices to track treatment and care progress.

Roughly 25% of people with hypertension are successfully managing their condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control.¹ The Mayo Clinic lists home monitoring as a key factor in helping patients control their blood pressure, and a survey conducted by Smart Meter further validates that point.

In the company’s 2025 National Blood Pressure Survey, 52% of respondents agreed that an RPM program would better help them manage their blood pressure between doctor visits. “It’s so important to partner with patients on improving their blood pressure,” Michael Rakotz, M.D., a family physician and vice president of health outcomes at the American Medical Association (AMA), said in a recent interview. “Having patients take their own BP measurements is a way to do that and engage them in self-management of their blood pressure.”

Such engagement cannot occur unless physicians have continuous, accurate data from patients’ blood pressure monitor. Surprisingly, 71% of the survey respondents said their blood pressure monitor cannot remotely send their readings to a provider. Consequently, only 8.5% respondents said a reading is sent to their provider immediately after testing.

This means patients must track their results and take those results with them to their next checkup. Requiring patients to log their readings leads to less accurate data for doctors to review, due to human error and the tendency for patients to falsify results to avoid confrontation with their physicians.

“Providing hypertension patients with the ability to self-monitor and for the vital sign reading to be sent to their provider is a crucial step in helping them control their disease,” said Dr. Bill Lewis, a member of the CHQI Telemedicine Standards and Medical Advisory Board and chair of the Telemedicine Accreditation Committee. “With a cellular remote patient monitoring system, there are no Bluetooth connections, hubs, or apps, making it easier for patients to check their blood pressure and know their test results are being viewed and tracked regularly.”

Smart Meter’s cellular-connected iBloodPressure monitors for hypertension and transmits results within milliseconds through a private data network, purposely built for transmitting large amounts of patient-generated health data. By using a cellular network, Smart Meter’s monitors do not require WiFi, synching, pairing, or a hub; the patient needs only to push a button and the monitor takes care of the rest.

Smart Meter has partnered with Kura Care, a 12-week, SMS-based patient engagement program designed to increase testing adherence. The Kura Care program uses analytics and a reminder system to help patients test their blood pressure more consistently. It seamlessly integrates with Smart Meter’s blood pressure devices, providing the combination of device ease-of-use and testing adherence assistance to improve Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement.

Smart Meter is the premier technology infrastructure provider for RPM and patient engagement. The firm empowers a nationwide network of SmartPartners who work directly with healthcare providers to transform patient care. The company delivers millions of real-time vital health readings for more than 300,000 patients using its proprietary U.S. Food and Drug Administration-registered cellular devices through its exclusive AT&T private data network.

Reference
¹ Facts About Hypertension | cdc.gov