Effectiveness of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring, Web Communication, and Pharmacist Care on Hypertension Control

TLDR

Hypertension control remains inadequate despite its known benefits in reducing cardiovascular mortality and disability. The study aimed to evaluate whether a model combining home blood pressure monitoring, patient web services, and pharmacist‑assisted care improves blood pressure control. In a 3‑group randomized controlled trial at an integrated group practice, 778 adults with uncontrolled essential hypertension were assigned to usual care, home BP monitoring plus web training, or home BP monitoring plus web training with pharmacist care delivered via secure web communication. Adding pharmacist care to home monitoring and web training increased the proportion of patients achieving controlled BP (<140/90 mm Hg) to 56% versus 31% with usual care, and produced stepwise reductions in systolic BP across groups, with diastolic BP decreasing only in the pharmacist care group. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00158639).

Abstract

<h3>Context</h3>Treating hypertension decreases mortality and disability from cardiovascular disease, but most hypertension remains inadequately controlled.<h3>Objective</h3>To determine if a new model of care that uses patient Web services, home blood pressure (BP) monitoring, and pharmacist-assisted care improves BP control.<h3>Design, Setting, and Participants</h3>A 3-group randomized controlled trial, the Electronic Communications and Home Blood Pressure Monitoring study was based on the Chronic Care Model. The trial was conducted at an integrated group practice in Washington state, enrolling 778 participants aged 25 to 75 years with uncontrolled essential hypertension and Internet access. Care was delivered over a secure patient Web site from June 2005 to December 2007.<h3>Interventions</h3>Participants were randomly assigned to usual care, home BP monitoring and secure patient Web site training only, or home BP monitoring and secure patient Web site training plus pharmacist care management delivered through Web communications.<h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3>Percentage of patients with controlled BP (&lt;140/90 mm Hg) and changes in systolic and diastolic BP at 12 months.<h3>Results</h3>Of 778 patients, 730 (94%) completed the 1-year follow-up visit. Patients assigned to the home BP monitoring and Web training only group had a nonsignificant increase in the percentage of patients with controlled BP (&lt;140/90 mm Hg) compared with usual care (36% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 30%-42%] vs 31% [95% CI, 25%-37%]; P = .21). Adding Web-based pharmacist care to home BP monitoring and Web training significantly increased the percentage of patients with controlled BP (56%; 95% CI, 49%-62%) compared with usual care (P &lt; .001) and home BP monitoring and Web training only (P &lt; .001). Systolic BP was decreased stepwise from usual care to home BP monitoring and Web training only to home BP monitoring and Web training plus pharmacist care. Diastolic BP was decreased only in the pharmacist care group compared with both the usual care and home BP monitoring and Web training only groups. Compared with usual care, the patients who had baseline systolic BP of 160 mm Hg or higher and received home BP monitoring and Web training plus pharmacist care had a greater net reduction in systolic BP (−13.2 mm Hg [95% CI, −19.2 to −7.1]; P &lt; .001) and diastolic BP (−4.6 mm Hg [95% CI, −8.0 to −1.2]; P &lt; .001), and improved BP control (relative risk, 3.32 [95% CI, 1.86 to 5.94]; P&lt;.001).<h3>Conclusion</h3>Pharmacist care management delivered through secure patient Web communications improved BP control in patients with hypertension.<h3>Trial Registration</h3>clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00158639