Implementation of blood pressure telemonitoring in high-risk pregnancies; a multicenter quantitative analysis of patient experiences in the SAFE@home study

Abstract

Objective

This study evaluates patient experiences with the SAFE@home platform for telemonitoring of blood pressure (BP) and symptom tracking in patients high-risk pregnancies. We hypothesized patients would perceive telemonitoring as usable and patient-centered and aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to aid future digital health scale-up.

Methods

A quantitative analysis within a cohort study across 11 hospitals was conducted. Patients with a high risk of or established HDP home monitored their BP and symptoms daily via the SAFE@home platform. The SAFE@home group had less composite adverse outcomes (17.2 % vs. 21.5) compared to the usual care group. The patient satisfaction and perceived quality of care (PSPQC) questionnaire and client centered care questionnaire (CCCQ) were answered on a 5-point Likert-scale. Primary outcomes were usability and client-centeredness, with ≥ 20 % disagreement indicating barriers and ≥ 80 % agreement indicating facilitators.

Results

Of the 606 participants, 376 (62%) completed the survey. The majority indicated high usability for SAFE@home: 98% found it useful for BP monitoring, and 86–95% rated it easy to use. Around 68% felt more in control, 81% appreciated the alignment with personal preferences and 92% would recommend SAFE@home to others. However, 51% of the patients felt they could independently manage their care and 25% did not know who to contact with technical issues.

Conclusion

Telemonitoring of BP and symptoms in high-risk pregnancies demonstrates high usability and acceptance among patients, improving engagement and control. While autonomy and technical support require improvement, SAFE@home represents a feasible and scalable model for integrating digital care into obstetrics.