Key result
In a meta-analysis of 92,686 participants, digital health interventions (mHealth and telehealth) significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to standard care.
Why the study?
Digital health is widely utilized for hypertension management, but its effectiveness across clinical outcomes, medication adherence, and lifestyle adherence compared to standard care required systematic evaluation.
Do digital health interventions improve clinical outcomes and adherence in hypertensive patients compared to standard care?
Meta-Analysis (n=92,686)
Do digital health interventions improve clinical outcomes and adherence in hypertensive patients compared to standard care?
Digital health interventions, particularly mHealth and telehealth, are effective in significantly lowering blood pressure and improving medication adherence in patients with hypertension.
Supports integrating mHealth/telehealth into hypertension care; confirms efficacy across modalities in Level 1 evidence.
BACKGROUND: Hypertension, a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. Digital health is now widely utilized for hypertension management, and numerous studies have assessed its effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: The review aims to analyse the effectiveness of digital health (i.e., mobile health (mHealth), telehealth, and the combination of mHealth & telehealth) on hypertensive patients, concerning three key areas: clinical outcomes, medication adherence, and adherence to lifestyle changes, as compared to standard care. METHODS: The review followed the PRISMA framework. Eight electronic databases were scanned for randomized control trials focusing on the effects of mHealth or telehealth on hypertensive patients, published between 2010 and 2023. All processes were conducted by the first two authors independently. A meta-analysis was conducted for quantitative data, while a narrative synthesis was conducted for qualitative data. RESULTS: In total, 74 studies involving 92 686 participants were identified. The meta-analysis favoured the interventions, revealing a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure for mHealth, telehealth and mHealth & telehealth groups. Nevertheless, medication adherence showed improvement only in the mHealth group, while blood pressure control showed improvement in both mHealth and mHealth & telehealth groups, and BMI showed improvement only in the mHealth group. Evidence for adherence to physical activity and DASH diet/salt intake remained inconclusive. CONCLUSION: In general, mHealth and telehealth have demonstrated their merits in improving the clinical outcomes of hypertensive patients.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Yap et al. (2024) conducted a meta-analysis in Hypertension (n=92,686). Digital health (mHealth, telehealth, and combination) vs. Standard care was evaluated on Clinical outcomes (systolic and diastolic blood pressure), medication adherence, and adherence to lifestyle changes. In a meta-analysis of 92,686 participants, digital health interventions (mHealth and telehealth) significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to standard care.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: