The number of people in the U.S. with hypertension continues to rise and so does the use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices to track the progress and manage the care of hypertensive patients and those with other chronic conditions. A majority of patients, however, have issues sending their readings to a healthcare professional when using remote monitoring systems that require Bluetooth^®-connected devices, apps, and hubs.

Only about 25% of people with hypertension have their condition under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹ and the Mayo Clinic lists home monitoring as a key factor in helping patients control their blood pressure. In the 2024 National Hypertension Survey, 55% of respondents said they have some type of issue sending their reading when using a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure monitor. And 30% said they always have an issue, which is a significant increase from the 8% in the 2023 National Hypertension Survey. The problems and frustrations experienced by patients due to Bluetooth connectivity can adversely impact regular testing and the transmission of vital sign data to the care team.

“Providing hypertension patients with the ability to self-monitor and for the vital sign reading to be sent to their provider is a crucial step in helping them control their disease,” said Dr. Bill Lewis, a member of the CHQI Telemedicine Standards and Medical Advisory Board and Chair of the Telemedicine Accreditation Committee. “With a cellular remote patient monitoring system, there are no Bluetooth connections, hubs, or apps, making it easier for patients to take their vital signs and know their test results are being viewed and tracked regularly.”

Smart Meter, a leading supplier of cellular-enabled RPM solutions, verified the challenges with Bluetooth RPM. “We manage a quarter of a million patients every day for our customers with our cellular RPM solutions and private data network and we believe that more than half of these switched from Bluetooth-connected RPM devices and hubs to Cellular-connected RPM, which requires no hub,” said Casey Pittock, CEO of Smart Meter and a member of the AT&T Healthcare Executive Advisory Council. “There has been a noticeable uptick in the number of providers and RPM companies moving away from Bluetooth hubs and devices to our patient-friendly cellular RPM devices which require no hub, app, or smartphone.”

In addition to Smart Meter’s proprietary cellular-connected iBloodPressure^® systems for hypertension and other Cellular RPM™ solutions for diabetes and weight monitoring, the company provides one of the most secure and reliable platforms for transmitting vital signs to healthcare professionals. The company, in collaboration with AT&T, created the first RPM Private Data Network (RPND), purpose built for the unique challenge of transmitting large amounts of patient-generated health data.

The RPND incorporates multiple layers of encryption for data generated from Smart Meter proprietary devices that will only connect and transmit through this private network – the data never touches the public internet. This ensures that vital signs are reliably and securely delivered every time. In 2023, the Smart Meter platform managed 1.93 billion records, delivering patient-generated vital signs to healthcare professionals across the U.S. The platform has now achieved an impressive six years of 100% uptime, supporting an average delivery time of 86 milliseconds.

According to Mr. Pittock, “With the unmatched reliability and flexibility of our purpose-built Cellular RPM devices and Private Data Network, our SmartPartners are assured of the most dependable and secure healthcare information in the RPM industry. Our customers don’t have to allocate resources to solve the technical problems and service headaches that arise when Bluetooth devices or hubs disconnect – which happens for at least 55% of Bluetooth users according to this recent national hypertension survey. The results show that Cellular RPM wins every time.”

About Smart Meter, LLC

Smart Meter is the number one trusted supplier of cellular Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solutions. We empower a nationwide network of SmartPartners™ who are working directly with healthcare providers to transform patient care. Millions of vital health data readings are reliably delivered across our platform to enable real-time, better-informed health care. Our proprietary patient-friendly, cellular FDA-registered monitoring devices are connected to an exclusive AT&T 4/5G private data network to ensure an engaging patient experience for improved adherence. For more information, visit SmartMeterRPM.com.

¹ Facts About Hypertension | cdc.gov

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