A new study conducted by the Center for Connected Health has found that people who track their blood pressure with a wireless mobile device are more reliable and consistent in entering data than those who use a telephone.

The results of the center's study of patients enrolled in its BP Connect program were published in the May edition of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. They follow earlier studies in which the center demonstrated improved clinical outcomes for people with high blood pressure and diabetes.

[See also: Center for Connected Health chief urges participatory medicine]

This study, which was supported by a grant from the Verizon Foundation, proves that the delivery method can also have an impact on outcomes.

"The results of this study show that data transmission technologies may potentially create barriers to patient engagement in remote monitoring programs, and that wireless devices are far more user-friendly than the older modem-based devices," said Kamal Jethwani, MD, MPH, the center's corporate manager of research and innovation, in a press release. "Key success factors for wireless devices include ease-of-use, real-time transmission of data and increased device portability within patients' homes. We are learning how patients engage in remote monitoring programs based on the type of technology they use, which can impact program design, operational workflow and clinical outcomes."

"Our findings demonstrate that the less obtrusive the upload process, the better the level of patient engagement, and provides clinicians with timely data to facilitate improved patient-provider communication and more timely intervention," added Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, the center's founder and director, in the release. "As mobile technologies are becoming more affordable and acceptable, this is an opportune time to widely adopt mobile technology to engage patients in the self-management of chronic diseases. Adopting the right technology should be a priority. Our goal is to sustain this initial interest and help patients continually and consistently engage in the program."

The center's study involved 30 patients, with an average age of 61.7 years, from three practices in the Boston-based Partners HealthCare network, of which the center is a part. According to the study, those who used a wireless device submitted a "significantly higher number of measurements per day" than did those using a telephone and modem. They also used their device more frequently to check their blood pressure, the study indicated, and they engaged earlier in the program, as evidenced by the time it took for them to record their first upload.

[See also: Center for Connected Health gets McKesson grant for mobile cancer program]

Along with BP Connect, the center offers remote monitoring programs for chronic disease self-management through Diabetes Connect, enabling those with diabetes, hypertension and heart failure to monitor their conditions at home. Both wireless devices and telephone modems are used, and the data is transmitted to a secure web portal, where patients and providers can view the readings and analyze trends.

In earlier studies conducted by the center, the BP Connect program was shown to reduce systolic BP by 6 mmHg and diastolic BP by 2 mmHg (a 5 mmHg decrease in blood pressure can reduce mortality due to stroke and heart disease by 14 percent and 9 percent, respectively). With Diabetes Connect, meanwhile, the center found that patients enrolled in that program saw their hemoglobin A1c levels drop an average of 1.5 percent over a one-year period.