Over the past two years, a hypertension equity program has reduced readmissions and maternal morbidity among patients at Providence, R.I.-based Women & Infants Hospital. Now, the hospital is partnering to expand the program statewide.
Four details:
- The Hypertension Equity Program has been in place at Women & Infants Hospital, Care New England Health System, since November 2022. Through the initiative, care team members educate patients on how to take their blood pressure at home and provide them materials to do so.
- The hospital received a grant from the National Institutes of Health and partnered with a remote patient monitoring company UTMHealthcare to expand the program statewide, according to a Dec. 10 news release. Using the platform, patients can monitor their blood pressure using Bluetooth or LTE devices that securely transmit data to clinicians. The connected devices reduce barriers to participation because smartphone ownership is not required.
- Leaders at Women & Infants hospital credit the equity program for preventing hundreds of postpartum clinic and emergency department visits among patients in recent years.
- “By expanding this statewide, we will be able to further eliminate disparities in maternal health and reduce both short- and long-term complications for postpartum patients, creating a healthier future for families across the state,” Methodius Tuuli, MD, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital, said in a news release. Dr. Tuuli is also the systemwide chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Care New England.
Source: Becker’s Hospital Review