White coat syndrome, also known as white coat hypertension, occurs when a patient’s blood pressure rises when measured in a clinical setting compared to non-clinical settings. This can lead to inaccurate diagnoses, unnecessary treatment, and increased patient anxiety. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is an effective solution for controlling white coat syndrome.
This article explores how RPM supports the control of white coat syndrome, the importance of reliable measurements, and the implications of undiagnosed or mismanaged hypertension.
Controlling White Coat Syndrome
About 15-30% of patients with high blood pressure experience white coat syndrome. While once considered harmless, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that “white-coat hypertension was not benign, and masked hypertension was associated with a greater risk of death than sustained hypertension.” Therefore, learning how to control white coat syndrome and knowing which type of hypertension a patient is experiencing is key to prevention.
The gold standard for confirming white coat syndrome 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). White coat hypertension is commonly diagnosed when blood pressure in-office is more than 140/90 mm Hg and daytime ambulatory readings are less than 135/85 millimeters of mercury.
Control White Coat Syndrome With Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring enables patients to measure blood pressure at home and automatically transmit the data to their providers. RPM blood pressure monitoring can help diagnose and manage hypertension, and can be useful for those who suffer from white coat syndrome.
Controlling white coat syndrome can be particularly effective when RPM is combined with patient education, regular feedback, and medication adjustment. Research shows that RPM improves patient engagement, adherence, and satisfaction while reducing healthcare costs and utilization. By providing more reliable and timely blood pressure data, RPM can help healthcare providers make better decisions and tailor treatments to each patient’s needs.
Hypertension Management and Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring
According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide have hypertension, which causes about 13% of all deaths globally. About 45% of adults in the United States have high blood pressure. Only about a quarter of them have it under control. High blood pressure costs the nation about $131 billion annually in health care services, medications, and missed work days.
High blood pressure increases risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious health problems. It can also cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, chest pain, and shortness of breath. However, many people with high blood pressure do not have any symptoms and may not be aware of their condition. That is why it is essential to check blood pressure regularly and follow a physician’s advice on lowering it.
Beyond controlling white coat syndrome, remote blood pressure monitoring provides accurate and consistent record of blood pressure readings outside the office. Therefore, it can also help identify other forms of hypertension, such as:
- Masked hypertension (high blood pressure that is normal in the office but elevated at home.)
- Morning hypertension (high blood pressure in the morning that declines during the day.)
- Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy.)
The following section explains how to control white coat syndrome with remote patient monitoring.
Understanding How to Control White Coat Syndrome
We hope you have learned more about how to control white coat syndrome in this post. The Tenovi RPM Blood Pressure Monitor (BPM) is an FDA-cleared RPM device that connects via Bluetooth to the Tenovi cellular Gateway. The Tenovi Gateway automatically and securely sends accurate measurement data to the Tenovi cloud. Qualified healthcare professionals access the readings directly to their software platform through Tenovi’s API integration.
The device is prep-paired and user-friendly. To help patients adhere to daily measurements the Tenovi gateway turns red every morning reminding them to take a measurement. Tenovi provides chronic care, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring software and services companies with intuitive and continuous real-time access to their patient’s health and billing data. This empowers health professionals with actionable information to guide and optimize patient care. Contact Tenovi today for a free demo and consultation.
