Adding nurse care management to home telemonitoring has shown to significantly reduce blood pressure (BP) among low-income Black and Hispanic stroke survivors, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of home-based BP telemonitoring and nurse case management via telephone in assisting low-income racial minority groups in managing uncontrolled hypertension post-stroke.

Black populations are at a higher risk of stroke compared to White counterparts, with data from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) indicating that Black individuals are 50% more likely to experience a stroke and 70% more likely to die from a stroke than their White peers.

While Hispanic and White adults have similar stroke rates, there are disparities in the care they receive, as highlighted by HHS OMH data.

Given that high BP is a significant risk factor for stroke, researchers from New York, Texas, and Maryland conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 450 participants between April 2014 and December 2017. Participants were divided into two groups, with one receiving home BP telemonitoring alone and the other receiving home BP telemonitoring along with nurse care management.

Home BP telemonitoring required participants to measure their BP 12 times weekly for a year, with readings transmitted wirelessly to a web portal. Monthly reports were shared with healthcare providers, and irregular readings prompted clinician phone calls. The group receiving nurse care management had 20 telephone counseling sessions with nurse case managers over the year, in addition to home telemonitoring.

Of the 450 participants, 80% completed the trial. At the end of 12 months, those who received counseling calls from nurses alongside home telemonitoring exhibited a significant reduction in BP.