Hypertension
Conditions
Brief summary
The investigators has developed a blood pressure telemonitoring system. It is hypothesized that, when optimal control of BP is confirmed on the telemonitoring system, the index physician's consultation can be safely deferred, and medications can still be prescribed without such face-to-face consultation. Despite potentially resource-saving for doctors and time-saving for patients, the feasibility and patients' acceptability of the use of the telemonitoring system to replace face-to-face physician consultation remains unclear. For primary outcome, the investigators hypothesize that this telemonitoring system will be feasible and acceptable to patients and can replace physicians' face-to-face consultations. For secondary outcomes, the investigators hypothesize that patients receiving care through telemonitoring have non-inferior BP control when compared with patients receiving usual care. Furthermore, the patients receiving telemonitoring may also have enhanced self-efficacy and compliance to drugs and lifestyle interventions
Interventions
DEVICEtelemedicine
a mobile app and telemedicine platform to confirm good blood pressure control and may save doctor face-to-face consultation
OTHERusual care
These patients have unrestricted access to healthcare resources such as general outpatient clinics and emergency departments
Sponsors
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* have a diagnosis of essential hypertension (HT) and are currently taking antihypertensive agents * have good control of clinic BP as confirmed on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) (daytime BP ≤135/85mmHg) * can read basic Chinese (as the content of the app in Chinese) * have a home BP monitor (HBPM) * used any mobile app (not HT-related) in the previous 1 year
Exclusion criteria
* an inability to give informed consent * unwillingness to conduct HBPM or repeated ABPM * current use of any other HT app for BP monitoring * relative contraindications to ABPM (diagnosed atrial fibrillation, occupational drivers or patients with bleeding tendencies) * severe mental illness, including those diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia or as being actively suicidal, because these patients may have diminished ability to use the HT app; * a diagnosis of other chronic disease(s) that need regular physical assessments and doctors' consultations (e.g. diabetes and asthma that are being treated, but patients with hypertension and hyperlipidaemia will remain eligible) * diagnosed active cancer,
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| rate of recruitment | baseline | number of patients recruited per month during the recruitment period |
| rate of retention | baseline, 6-month | number of dropouts during the 6-month study period |
| acceptability | at 6-month | interview of around 20 patients in the intervention group |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| medication and diet adherence | baseline, 6-month | Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for Patients with Hypertension (TAQPH); Score was summed to give a total range, higher score represented better adherence |
| exercise level | baseline, 6-month | Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ); higher scores represented higher exercise level |
| blood pressure levels on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure | baseline, 6-month | daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure |
| health literacy | baseline, 6-month | 3-item Brief Health Literacy; higher scores represented higher health literacy |
| eHealth literacy | baseline, 6-month | Chinese 8-item eHealth literacy scale; higher scores represented higher eHealth literacy |
| healthcare utilization | 6-month | number of visits to general outpatient clinic, specialist clinic(s) and hospitalization during study period |
| self-efficacy scale | baseline, 6-month | 5-item self-efficacy scale specific to hypertension; a mean score from the items of a 9 or above were classified as having good self-efficacy |
Countries
Hong Kong
Outcome results
None listed