When Timothy Rhonda, a 57-year-old Brooklyn resident with dangerously high blood pressure, went to NYU Langone’s Park Ridge Family Health Center, he feared he would be hospitalized again. Instead, to his surprise and great relief, his care team handed him a device the size of a standard blood pressure cuff, allowing him to manage his condition safely from home.
Rhonda has a long history of high blood pressure. In 2019, he underwent a successful robotic-assisted mitral valve repair at NYU Langone’s main campus in Manhattan under the care of cardiac surgeon Didier F. Lourmet, MD.
After the surgery, Rhonda stopped taking her blood pressure medication and went without treatment for nearly two years. But a few years later, he began experiencing mild discomfort near the surgical incision in his chest and numbness in his leg at the bypass site, so he sought treatment at the Park Ridge facility. Tests revealed that his blood pressure was dangerously elevated.
To prevent future complications, he enrolled in NYU Langone’s remote patient monitoring program. This allows clinicians to track blood pressure and adjust treatment through virtual visits, eliminating the need for multiple in-person visits.
The program launched in January 2022 with the goal of improving blood pressure control in underserved communities. This is part of an effort supported by the National Institutes of Health and New York University Langone’s Beyond Bridges program, bringing together community-based clinical efforts to improve the health and well-being of Sunset Park’s diverse population. The program also reflects NYU Langone’s broader strategy to incorporate remote monitoring into daily practice across the health care system, expanding virtual monitoring for patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, maternal health conditions, and other chronic conditions.
In Rhonda’s case, a virtual health team checks his blood pressure and meets with him remotely between in-person visits to provide guidance and manage his medication. During a recent virtual visit, nurse Orondo K. Lewis, NP, noticed that her blood pressure remained elevated and immediately adjusted her medication.
Rhonda, who lives in Coney Island, said, “The team adjusted my medication and my blood pressure is now under control.” “It made me feel so much better knowing I was being watched. It was great and very helpful to me.”
Initial implementation results of the program published in NEJM Catalyst demonstrated that integrating remote monitoring into routine primary care can improve outcomes and patient engagement. The study was led by Antoinette M. Schoenthaler, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Population Health Medicine at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine.
As part of the study, experts at NYU Langone’s Family Health Center, one of the nation’s largest networks of federally qualified health centers, identified nearly 4,000 patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Nearly 1,000 of these patients received remote monitoring devices, resulting in statistically significant improvements in blood pressure control. Remote monitoring participants also experienced significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. They were significantly more likely to achieve blood pressure control and take their medications as prescribed than those receiving usual care.
This allows us to provide care to patients without the need for them to come back multiple times for monitoring. We can see patient measurements in real time and adjust treatment instantly, improving outcomes and reducing barriers to treatment. ”
Isaac P. Dapkins, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Family Health Center
The program uses a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff that automatically syncs with the patient’s medical records. Patients record their blood pressure once or twice each day, so nurses, cardiologists, and other members of the care team can remotely review readings and adjust medications as needed.
Clinical decision support tools automatically identify patients with elevated blood pressure during a visit and enable providers to enroll eligible patients into the program, ensuring seamless participation for both patients and clinicians.
The program has also proven popular among patients who do not speak English or have limited access to computers or smartphones, patients who have historically been less likely to benefit from digital health tools.
“Many of our patients face technological barriers,” says Ariel Elmaleh Sachs, M.D., medical director and internist at NYU Langone’s Sunset Park Family Health Center at 55th Street, who is overseeing the effort. “By combining remote monitoring with education and support, we can help patients become active participants in their care.”
Community health workers help patients set up and use their devices while helping address social factors that can impact health, further improving participation and outcomes. For Rhonda, this technology has not only changed the way she takes care of her health, it has also saved her life.
“I think everyone who needs blood pressure monitoring should give it a try,” he says. “It can save your life.”
The program makes monitoring easier and more accessible, allowing patients to catch problems early and proactively manage their heart health before complications occur.
