Improving Telemedicine for Black Patients with Heart Disease

Across all areas of study in health care and especially in recent years, African American patients and physicians have experienced racial inequity regarding telemedicine practices across the US. However, a new pilot trial from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggested  subtle modifications in the methods of virtually engaging with Black patients that could be used to better communicate with populations affected by these inequities.Data from the trial showed that Black patients with cardiovascular disease covered under Medicaid and Medicare insurance are significantly more likely to share blood pressure measures with a clinician through text messages as opposed to a healthcare system online portal.Jennifer Lewy, MD, MPH, Director of the Penn Women’s Cardiovascular Center, spoke of the motives behind this trial as well as the uptake and acceptability of a text-based model for at-home blood pressure monitoring when compared to online virtual patient portals among Black patients with Medicaid or Medicare.