Perinatal Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring

In this review of perinatal self-monitoring blood pressure programs, we discuss the current data, provide suggestions for implementation, and identify areas for future research. Perinatal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among individuals with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are often driven by persistent, uncontrolled hypertension. Whereas traditional perinatal blood pressure (BP) ascertainment occurs through in-person clinic appointments, self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) programs allow individuals to measure their BP remotely and receive remote management by a medical team. Though data remain limited on clinically important outcomes such as maternal morbidity, these programs have shown promise in improving BP ascertainment rates in the immediate postpartum period and enhancing racial and ethnic equity in BP ascertainment after hospital discharge. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of perinatal SMBP programs that have been described in the literature and the data that support their efficacy. Furthermore, we offer suggestions for practitioners, institutions, and health systems that may be considering implementing SMBP programs, including important health equity concerns to be considered. Last, we discuss opportunities for ongoing and future research regarding SMBP programs' effects on maternal morbidity, long-term health outcomes, inequities that are known to exist in HDP and HDP-related outcomes, and the cost effectiveness of these programs.