Key result
COVID-19-related care disruptions and the transition to telehealth decreased documented blood pressure control rates from 63.5% in December 2019 to 54.9% by October 2021, driven by an increase in patients lacking documented measurements.
Why the study?
To examine trends in blood pressure documentation and control rates in community health centers as telehealth use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period.
Does the transition to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic impact blood pressure documentation and control rates in community health centers?
Population
Persons ages 18-85 with hypertension and an in-person or telehealth encounter in 11 CHCs
Comparison
CHCs implementing SMBP vs non-SMBP CHCs, and pandemic vs pre-pandemic periods
Design
Observational cohort study across 11 CHCs
Follow-up
December 2019 - October 2021
Authors
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Missing measurements during telehealth shifts may mask true BP control; leaves open whether SMBP improves documentation in community settings.
Observational (n=59,701)
Yes
Does the transition to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic impact blood pressure documentation and control rates in community health centers?
Absolute Event Rate: 54.9% vs 63.5%
The shift to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced documented blood pressure control rates due to missing BP measurements, highlighting the need for better integration of self-measured BP monitoring.
Meador et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Hypertension (n=59,701). COVID-19-related care disruptions (telehealth transition) vs. Pre-pandemic period (December 2019) was evaluated on Blood pressure control using CMS 165v8 criteria. COVID-19-related care disruptions and the transition to telehealth decreased documented blood pressure control rates from 63.5% in December 2019 to 54.9% by October 2021, driven by an increase in patients lacking documented measurements.
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