Robo-Calls That Actually Decrease Your Blood Pressure

Patients who received automated telephone messages encouraging them to get their blood pressure checked at a walk-in clinic were more likely to achieve blood pressure control than patients who did not receive the calls, according to a study by Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

According to the study, "an automated telephone outreach program was effective in increasing BP control rates in patients with hypertension and uncontrolled BP. Additionally, the intervention has the potential to reach a large population at low marginal costs. When designing quality-improvement interventions to increase BP control rates, health care organizations should consider utilizing an automated telephone outreach campaign as part of a comprehensive chronic care management program."