DENVER and REDMOND, Wash., May 21 /PRNewswire/ — The use of at-home
blood pressure monitors and web-based reporting tools that connect
clinicians and patients via the Internet appears to significantly
improve patients’ ability to manage their high blood pressure to
healthy levels, according to research from Kaiser Permanente.

The study, led by Kaiser Permanente Colorado in collaboration
with the American Heart Association and Microsoft Corp., involved
348 patients with uncontrolled hypertension, ages 18-85 years. The
initial study data was presented today by Kaiser Permanente
Colorado researchers at the American Heart Association’s 11th
Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in
Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

“Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s Institute for Health Research is
committed to studying innovative ways to make care more
patient-centered in order to improve quality,” said lead author
David Magid, MD, Kaiser Permanente
senior scientist. “While more research is necessary, our study
suggests that using technology to engage individuals in their care
at home may be a better way to help patients achieve a healthy
blood pressure.”

As many as 73 million Americans have high blood pressure
(hypertension), a leading predictor of heart disease. According to
the American Heart Association, approximately 69 percent of people
who have a first attack and 77 percent who have a first stroke
suffer from elevated blood pressure levels. The participants were
randomized to a usual care group or a home monitoring group. All
patients had their blood pressure measured in the medical office at
the start of the six-month study. The usual care group was managed
in a typical model that involved checking blood pressure during
office

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