Gaps in hypertension control remain significant in safety-net populations. A retrospective, single-arm cohort study from the ALTA trial (NCT03713515), published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, assessed the impact of remote patient monitoring (RPM) combined with a virtual multidisciplinary care team consisting of a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, and community health worker. The study included 568 adults (mean age 56 years) with uncontrolled hypertension from five safety-net practices, followed between February 2022 and July 2024.

In patients with a baseline cardiovascular health (CVH) score ≤7 (n=196), the score increased from 4.5 to 5.2 (p<0.001), independent of intervention utilization levels. Lipid parameters, including total cholesterol (n=86, p<0.001), LDL cholesterol (n=128, p<0.001), and triglycerides (n=51, p=0.004), improved markedly. Hemoglobin A1c reductions were observed in those with ≥1 NP visit (n=195, p=0.02), while fasting glucose and body mass index decreased in the highest tertiles of NP visits (p=0.03) and RPM use (p=0.02), respectively. Smoking cessation occurred in 4 of 27 smokers.  The findings suggest that benefits may depend on the level of intervention utilization.

Key Takeaway: 

Integrating RPM with multidisciplinary follow-up may improve overall CVH in resource-limited settings.