Blood pressure monitoring is widely recognized as one of the most effective ways to manage hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). In fact, elevated blood pressure is often the earliest—and sometimes the only—warning sign of preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality.
While providers routinely check blood pressure at every prenatal appointment, those 12–14 visits are spread out over nine months. Risks don’t wait for the next appointment, which is why the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends at-home monitoring of blood pressure.
In theory, writing a patient a prescription for a blood pressure cuff creates a safety net. In practice, self-monitoring compliance is low. Experience shows that home BP monitoring drops off quickly without reinforcement, and some patients never get a cuff in the first place due to inconvenience, lack of urgency, or other social barriers. Among those who do, inconsistent tracking and lack of education often limit the effectiveness of the tool.
Low compliance isn’t just a patient safety concern—it also undermines the sustainability of remote patient monitoring (RPM). Reimbursement for RPM depends on consistent data transmission and proper documentation, both of which are difficult without structured oversight.
At the same time, asking providers to manage patient-generated data without support isn’t feasible. The steady flow of readings requires monitoring, interpretation, and follow-up. There are liability considerations, and each touchpoint needs to be documented for billing. For busy OB practices already stretched thin, the additional workload can be overwhelming.
Care Managers SUPPORT PATIENT ENGAGEMENT
This is where care managers play a critical role. Within Babyscripts’ RPM model, care managers act as an extension of the OB care team. Every patient enrolled in high-risk BP monitoring is paired with a care management team, resulting in much higher adherence rates. Care managers support patients from the start, assisting with device set-up and troubleshooting, conducting routine check-ins, and providing education on risks and warning signs. They also help reinforce adherence to monitoring schedules and work to remove barriers—whether logistical, financial, or social—that might prevent consistent tracking. Beyond monitoring, care managers often serve as a coordination point, answering medication questions, flagging unreported ED or L&D visits, and connecting patients with additional resources as needed.
We’ve seen firsthand how adding care management changes the trajectory of patient engagement with at-home blood pressure monitoring. Before Babyscripts, compliance dropped off quickly—patients struggled to pick up their devices, take initial readings, and stay consistent over time. With Babyscripts’ RPM model, supported by care managers, enrollment and activation rates are dramatically higher, and patients sustain their monitoring over weeks and months. With reinforcement, education, and hands-on support, patients don’t just start monitoring, they stay with it.
Care Managers Ease Operational Burdens
For providers, care managers take on the responsibility of monitoring patient-submitted readings in real time, triaging according to established clinical protocols, and escalating concerns to the OB team when intervention is warranted. They also manage the administrative side of RPM by documenting data and ensuring accuracy for reimbursement purposes. In this way, care managers not only ease the operational burden on clinicians but also ensure that the data collected is meaningful, actionable, and tied directly to improved patient outcomes.
By bridging the gap between patient and provider, care managers make at-home monitoring more reliable and sustainable. Patients feel supported, providers get actionable data without extra burden, and the health system benefits from improved outcomes and reduced costs.
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