5 Great Hypertension Apps For Use In Primary Care

Only half of all patients with hypertension have their condition under control, which makes new options to help manage care an essential asset for healthcare providers.

There is no single standard approach to handling long-term management of hypertension. A combination of strategies that take all of the condition’s numerous factors into consideration, as well as the needs and requirements of each patient, is the key to successful treatment. Technology is helping make this process a little more comfortable by giving physicians and patients new options to track and share essential information using apps and software.

There are numerous options available today to help keep this dangerous condition under control, and these five are the most popular and useful apps used today.

Blood Pressure Companion

Platforms:  iPhone, iPad

Cost: Free

Offered by Maxwell Software, this app allows patients to easily track their blood pressure at home using their Apple devices. The data they collect can be reviewed by their physician at a later date, allowing them to bring vital information with them to appointments and follow-ups.

The access to that data is an excellent asset for primary care physicians, especially since “white coat syndrome” or “white coat hypertension” is a very real thing. Having data that isn’t being altered by your patients’ anxiety makes deciding on the right treatment strategies easier since you can now use data that isn’t affected by the stresses that come from an office setting.

Added Features:

• Track systolic, diastolic, HR, and weight via chart
• Analyze times and percentage of each blood pressure range
• Calculate MAP of each reading
• Show maximum, minimum, and average number of readings by number and histogram
• Show statistics of measurements by day, week, month, or year

Instant Heart Rate

Platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad

Cost: Free, offers in-app purchases

Offered by Azumio, Inc., this point-of-care app provides heart rate detection that patients can use at home. Physicians can review data collected by the app at a later date. Heart rate and blood pressure are two vital life signs that offer a ton of information to help gauge a patient’s response to medical therapies. The data this app collects can help you to better titrate medications for more effective treatment.

Added Features:

• Heart rate measurement
• Heart rate activity zone calculator
• Pulse waveform graphs
• Real-time photoplethysmogram graph
• Continuous or auto-stop mode
• Unlimited data storage and tags
• StandUp test for fatigue and fitness

ASCVD Risk Estimator

Platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad

Cost: Free

Offered by the American College of Cardiology, this app is a mobile tool for determining the need for statin therapy based on a patient’s risk factors, including systolic blood pressure. Statin therapy and medication are one of the most effective means of reducing cardiovascular disease risks in patients, and the more information you have to work with, the more efficient this approach can be.

Added Features:

• Estimates 10-year, lifetime risk for ASCVD using Pooled Cohort Equations and risk prediction tools
• Used as a companion to 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines on risk assessment/treatment
• Provides access to recommended Rx for specific risk estimates
• Includes guideline reference information for providers/patients on therapy, monitoring, and lifestyle

DASH Diet Food Tracker

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

Cost: $1.99

Offered by e-Havior Change, LLC, this food tracking app is great for patients on the American Heart Association’s DASH diet. With diet being one of the most modifiable risk factors when it comes to cardiovascular health and hypertension, tools that help track food are extremely useful. Research shows that food tracking supports successful dietary change and weight loss, and the DASH diet is proven to be effective in helping to lower blood pressure.

Added Features:

• Calculates and tracks amount patients should be eating from the 8 DASH food groups
• Helps make specific food selections based on individual preferences
• Full tutorial on DASH diet, serving concepts, how DASH works, etc.

Sattva – Guided Meditation Training

Platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad

Cost: Free

Offered by GMman Labs, this guided meditation app focuses on reducing stress, which in turn lowers blood pressure. While meditation alone can’t treat hypertension, when combined with other therapies it can have an overall positive impact on the health of your patients. Meditation allows patients to take ownership of their well-being, and an app helps them to stay on track and work towards meeting the blood pressure goals you have set as their physician.

Added Features:

• Free guided meditations and chants
• Meditation timer
• Heart rate monitor to measure before and after sessions
• Reminders to help patients stay on track

Want to learn more about the apps, software, and other technology available to help you offer a higher level of patient care? Contact eSOZO Computer and Network Services at info@esozo.com or (888) 376-9648. We’re the technology experts healthcare professionals trust.

Author: Aaron White, Date: 27th December 2017