Mobile App Shows Promise for Hypertension Management: Daily Dose

Patient Care brings primary care clinicians a lot of medical news every day—it’s easy to miss an important study. The Daily Dose provides a concise summary of one of the website's leading stories you may not have seen.

On December 20, 2024, we reported on findings from a study published in the journal JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth that examined the feasibility, use, and safety of a smartphone app for routine monitoring of blood pressure (BP) and medication among people with primary hypertension.

The study

A total of 389 participants aged 24 to 87 years were recruited from affiliated sites as part of the ongoing CURE-19 study, which focused on individuals experiencing the pandemic. After completing a digital screener to determine eligibility, individuals provided informed consent and downloaded the app onto their smartphones. Over the 12-week study period, participants were instructed to record their BP readings twice daily, document their medication use, and report any emergent symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The mean age of participants was 54.1 years, 68.4% were women, and 74.5% were non-Hispanic White.

The findings

Of the 389 participants enrolled in the study, 98% (n=380) downloaded and entered BP routines in week 1. Over the 12-week observational period, 239 participants (62.9%) remained engaged, with 201 (84.1%) consistently entering full BP routines at least 80% of the time.

Investigators observed that participants who adhered to the app demonstrated well-controlled BP, with no significant changes in average systolic or diastolic BP between week 1 and week 12 (all, P > .05). Furthermore, there were no adverse events attributable to the use of the smartphone app or deaths reported during the study.

The app also scored an overall positive evaluation based on the User Experience Questionnaire, scoring "excellent" in domains such as perspicuity, efficiency, and dependability, and "above average" in attractiveness and stimulation.

Authors' comments

"The high retention, engagement and acceptability and positive feedback in this study demonstrates that routine monitoring of BP and medications using a smartphone app is feasible for patients with hypertension in a community setting."

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