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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Patient Safety
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1474634
This article is part of the Research Topic Designing for Engagement in Digital Health for Chronic and Long-Term Care View all articles
Patient Engagement Pilot for Uncontrolled Hypertension: Implications for Quality, Safety, and Population Health
Provisionally accepted- 1 MedStar Health Care Transformation Organization, Columbia, United States
- 2 MedStar Health Center for Diagnostic Systems Safety, Columbia, United States
- 3 School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States
- 4 MedStar Insitute for Innovation, District of Columbia, United States
Introduction: Traditional methods of hypertension management often fall short in ensuring timely intervention and sustained patient engagement. This study explores the implementation of a patient-generated health data (PGHD) system using a text-message based platform to enhance patient engagement and improve hypertension control across diverse populations. Methods: We conducted a patient engagement campaign at MedStar Health within the Maryland Primary Care Program (MDPCP), targeting patients with poorly controlled hypertension across 54 clinics. The intervention utilized the Twistle platform to send automated text messages to patients, encouraging them to submit their home blood pressure readings. Data collection was automated, and the intervention's effectiveness was assessed through engagement metrics and blood pressure control outcomes. Results: Over a 20-day period, 11,597 patients were targeted, with 9,216 successfully receiving and engaging with the intervention. Of these, 28.5% responded with a blood pressure reading. Follow-up adjustments in patient care plans were made based on 1,209 responses indicating improved control of hypertension. The initiative demonstrated significant improvement in patient engagement and quality of hypertension management. Discussion: The use of PGHD via text messaging significantly enhanced patient engagement and the management of hypertension, contributing to better quality outcomes and patient safety. This approach proved particularly effective in reaching and impacting patients in underserved communities, where traditional healthcare interactions are often limited. The findings support broader adoption of PGHD interventions in chronic disease management and underscore the potential for digital health tools to transform patient care by actively involving patients in their health management.
Keywords: Patient-generated health data, Digital Health, patient engagement, quality and safety, Value-based care
Received: 02 Aug 2024; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Daughtry, Miller, Brennan and Brodine. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Joseph Brodine, MedStar Health Care Transformation Organization, Columbia, United States
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