Dr. Jamie Yuen
Knowing that more than 40% of patients with hypertension are sub-optimally managed, Dr. Jamie Yuen and his team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Pharmacists Clinic developed a virtual hypertension management program centered around patients using the Heart Track mobile app.
The pharmacist-led project, with funding from the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy’s Innovation Fund, involved 17 patient participants and eight pharmacists over a six-month period and aimed to help patients achieve blood pressure (BP) targets and improve medication adherence.
The patients visited four times with the pharmacists: at baseline, for a one-month and three-month follow-up, and a six-month final visit. Surveys were distributed at various points throughout the study, with interviews of patients and pharmacists to gain insight into their experiences.
Survey responses showed that 94% of patient participants were satisfied with using the Heart Track app to record their blood pressure, and 94% thought it was a feasible method to improve communication regarding their health status to the pharmacist or other healthcare provider, reports project lead Yuen, Assistant Director, Clinical Pharmacist, and lecturer at the UBC Pharmacists Clinic. Additionally, 88% of patients felt better cared for, knowing that a pharmacist was actively monitoring their blood pressure using the app. Pharmacists were equally enthusiastic. “All eight pharmacists felt that using the mobile health application to monitor their patients’ health was manageable and enabled increased involvement in their patient care,” says Yuen.
Several patients continue to use Heart Track to record and monitor their blood pressure, and to consult with the pharmacists as part of their routine care, notes Yuen. “It also empowers them to have information to share with their primary care provider,” he says.
Yuen has presented posters at several conferences, and the team is currently working on two manuscripts to report on quantitative and qualitative results, respectively. “I believe pharmacists play an important role in patient monitoring of chronic conditions,” says Yuen. With the use of technology, he hopes pharmacists will be able to incorporate digital health solutions into their practice for a better experience for both healthcare providers and patients. “We live in a digital age, and I feel it’s important to leverage devices we use on a daily basis to contribute to better health and wellbeing,” he says. “I hope to see more use cases of remote monitoring for other chronic conditions.”
As part of its annual Changing Face of Pharmacy report, the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy...
The federal and provincial governments have enacted a wide range of temporary laws, regulations...
