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Remote Patient Monitoring

Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Service

Are you over 65 and asked to stay at home? Are you concerned for the health of an aging parent? What about yourself, if you have high blood pressure or other cardiac concerns? Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring is a Medicare-approved telehealth service, with access to a nurse and physician.  This service is also covered by some PPO health insurance plans. 

Dr. Cynthia Thaik, M.D., now offers remote patient monitoring for hypertension and a selection of other chronic conditions. This technology could be a lifeline for the millions of Californians suffering from hypertension. One in three Californians who passed away in 2014 died as a result of cardiovascular disease. With this ambulatory blood pressure monitoring equipment (along with glucometer, pulse oximeter, or weight scale where appropriate), individuals at high risk of complications from their high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar or obesity, can remain at home and get checkups on their condition without needing to expose themselves to coronavirus, flu, or other contagions that could compound their health issues.

Blood Pressure Measurement at Home

Anyone who signs up for the program will receive a Bluetooth blood pressure cuff to wear, along with a device to contact the Holistic Healing Heart Center if needed. By regularly monitoring patients’ readings, we can determine if treatment is needed urgently, and adjust their medication (and other measures made to improve their health) on a more minute level. This level of oversight is of immense benefit to both the patient and the health care provider. The patient is able to see positive change over time, and any spikes in blood pressure can be medicated appropriately. We, the health care provider, get a better insight into the mechanical facts of the patient’s condition, and thus that patient’s needs. Over a six month period, a trial involving these personal health monitoring devices observed that patients’ average blood pressure dropped by 4.7mm Hg, and blood pressure among refractory hypertensives dropped by 11.5mm Hg.

elderly man social isolation

Blood Sugar Monitoring

There are also options for diabetic patients to have subdermal continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices installed. These monitors automatically track blood glucose levels, allowing you and your trusted healthcare professionals to see changes in your blood sugar. The current CGM device generation is suitable for people with type 1 diabetes. Work is underway to develop CGM devices suitable for type 2 diabetics. Using one of these monitoring devices can help you better manage your glucose levels, have fewer low blood glucose emergencies, and give you the tools you need to reduce the chance of complications from your condition.

Helping At-Risk Patients Stay At Home During Quarantine

CDC and the government is urging older adults to stay home due the COVID-19 epidemic, and many healthcare providers in California have shut down due to the quarantine mandated by local governments. As a result, many seniors are at home, isolated, and without immediate access to a doctor or nurse.

Using personal remote monitoring devices for measuring blood pressure and other essential health metrics is not only a more efficient way of caring for one’s health, it can negate the necessity of needing to venture out to see a healthcare provider, or worse needing to go to urgent care or an emergency room for observation and treatment, thereby exposing oneself to additional unnecessary risk.

Weight Monitoring Service
wireless diabetes testing kit

Peace of Mind For Adult Children: Aging Parents Safer At Home, Under Our Monitoring & Remote Care

Many adult children appreciate the new technology that can track their aging parents’ health. If your aging parents are currently alone, and you are unable to visit or check up on them in person due to social distancing, you are likely worried about their wellness and access to healthcare. Is your 70 year old dad with hypertension checking his blood pressure daily? Will your 85 year old grandma living alone know what to do if she is experiencing symptoms? Are their doctors offering telephone or video appointments?  While you may not be able to physically be present to assist your aging family members, remote home blood pressure monitoring provides peace of mind knowing that symptoms and health concerns are less likely to go unchecked. 

How Geriatric Patients Can Benefit from Telehealth

Social isolation and loneliness can exacerbate pre-existing conditions, such as hypertension, blood sugar concerns, heart failure, and other cardiac concerns. While the current COVID-19 #SaferAtHome orders are temporary, social isolation has always been a concern for the elderly. Whether due to the Coronavirus quarantine, lack of access to transportation, or other aspects of aging, access to healthcare can be a challenge for the elderly. With telehealth, not only does the healthcare provider receive information from the blood pressure monitor, but they are also available for virtual consultations and check-ins.  Telemedicine and home blood pressure monitoring are available for everyone, with particular focus on patients over 65 with the following conditions:

  • Hypertension or high blood pressure
  • blood sugar concerns
  • heart failure
  • cardiac disorders

Medicare Approved Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring Service

If you’re questioning whether Medicare covers remote patient monitoring, the answer is affirmative. Medicare now provides approved and expanded coverage for Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, specifically for individuals with high blood pressure. ABPM, or Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, is a non-invasive diagnostic test utilizing a device to continuously monitor blood pressure throughout 24-hour cycles. This enables physicians to evaluate a patient’s blood pressure during their everyday activities. ABPM has the potential to provide a more precise measurement of blood pressure, potentially identifying cases of high blood pressure in patients who might not have been diagnosed through traditional methods. If you have questions about the cost and billing of our Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Service, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  For patients with two or more chronic conditions, additional support is available, through the chronic care management program offered by CMS. In this program, a dedicated healthcare professional, working in concert with Dr. Cynthia, will call once a month to discuss your medical conditions and answer any questions or concerns you might have and communicate those concerns with your doctor.  This way, you can rest assured that you or your loved ones are being more securely monitored at home, while also addressing the issue of social isolation.

remote telemedicine

Dr. Cynthia Thaik, M.D. Los Angeles Cardiologist and Primary Care Physician Offering Telemedicine Across California

Frequently recognized as one of Los Angeles’ top heart specialists, Dr. Cynthia Thaik, who received her training at Harvard, is a proficient cardiologist and functional medicine practitioner. She attentively engages with her patients, inquiring about their lifestyle, environmental exposures, and genetic factors that could contribute to compromised health. She takes into account every risk factor including cholesterol levels, genetic risk for heart disease, and past heart failure.  At Holistic Healing Heart Center, along with her team, Dr. Thaik is available to provide comprehensive care at the Burbank or Valencia offices, as well as remotely throughout California. Please submit inquiries for this unique program to info@drcynthia.com