AI Voice Agent Improves Blood Pressure Monitoring Accuracy and Patient Outcomes in Older Adults

Artificial intelligence voice agents helped older adults with high blood pressure accurately report their blood pressure readings and improved blood pressure management, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025. The study's findings demonstrate how integrating AI into care can help improve home blood pressure monitoring and completion rates, which can lead to improved quality outcomes for patients.

The study included 2,000 adults, a majority ages 65 and older, and was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and scalability of a voice-enabled AI agent in engaging patients to self-report accurate blood pressure readings. AI voice agents are conversational systems powered by large language models that can understand and produce natural speech in real time when interacting with humans. The AI agent also identified patients in need of follow-up medical care based on their blood pressure readings.

Patients were contacted by the voice agent to provide recent blood pressure readings or to conduct live measurements during the call. After the call, the readings were entered into the patient's electronic health record and reviewed by a clinician. This process reduced the manual workload by clinicians and resulted in an 88.7% lower cost-per-reading compared to using human nurses to perform similar tasks.

The study found that integrating AI into clinical workflows lowered costs and improved care management for patients. During the study period, 85% of patients were successfully reached by the voice-based AI agent, with 67% completing the call and 60% taking a compliant blood pressure reading during the call. Among these patients, 68% met controlling blood pressure Stars compliance thresholds. Overall, 1,939 CBP gaps were closed, elevating the measure from 1-Star to 4-Star performance - a 17% improvement.

Self-measured blood pressure is a focus area of Target:BP, an American Heart Association initiative that helps health care organizations improve blood pressure control rates through an evidence-based program. Home blood pressure monitoring is recommended for all adults with any level of high blood pressure, as noted in the Association's new 2025 guideline on high blood pressure.

At the end of each completed call, patients received a two-question survey to rate their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being 100% satisfied. Among the completed calls, the average patient-reported satisfaction rate exceeded 9 out of 10, reflecting an excellent overall experience with the voice-based AI agent. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services developed the Star Ratings system, known as MA Stars, to rate Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans on a 5-star scale, with hospitals and care centers eligible to receive bonus payments for achieving at least a 4-star rating.