A new postpartum, at-home blood pressure monitoring program at M Health Fairview reduced postpartum readmissions due to hypertension by 69%.
The program began at Minneapolis-based M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center in November 2023, according to an Oct. 14 system news release shared with Becker's. New mothers diagnosed with high blood pressure are provided with monitoring tools for six weeks after delivery. Blood pressure is taken twice daily and entered into an app connected to MyChart. Maternal-fetal medicine nurses review the patients' blood pressure readings and reach out if there are concerns.
Since the program was launched, it has helped more than 367 patients. Early results showed that 88% of participating patients reported a blood pressure reading within the first 72 hours of discharge and readmissions were reduced by 69%.
"This is a great start, and we're optimistic about the future of this program," Bethany Sabol, MD, who created and runs the program, said in the release. "While it's currently available only at the M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, we are making plans to expand it across our entire system starting in 2025."