Abstract P2058: Using Mobile Health Technology to Increase Knowledge About Hypertensive Patients Requests and Health Behaviors

Abstract

Background: The use of virtual health intervention and the use of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has been shown to improve empowerment, compliance and blood pressure control. Aims: The aim of the present study was to use a smartphone application for hypertension treatment to investigate the patients' perception of how hypertension affected their lives. Methods: The target group was patients with primary hypertension without diabetes or major cardiovascular complications living in Stockholm, Sweden (males/females 132/153, mean age 58 years). When a patient had been included, a smartphone application (Accumbo, Sweden) was downloaded. HBPM were measured with a Bluetooth connected oscillometric BP monitor. A questionnaire was filled in electronically. Results: Mean blood pressure was 135/87 mmHg. Based on the questionnaire 71 % (190 out of 267) of the patients had never received information from their doctor regarding the aetiology of their disease. Only 37 % (103 out of 277) had received individual health advice. When asked “How is your health in general”? 54% (154 out of 285) responded good or very good. On the other hand 47% (128 out of 281) of patients answered that having an elevated blood pressure affected their daily activities. Most patients, 79 % (222 out of 282) wanted to lose weight. Forty percent (110 out of 278) stated that they received little or very little daily exercise. Sixty eight % (190 out of 279) wanted to increase their daily physical activity if possible. Only 8% (26 out of 279) did not want to increase their daily exercise. Fifty six percent (156 out of 276) patients used a lifestyle or health app in their smartphone and 43 % (121 out of 280) patients had taken dietary supplements, or vitamins the month before the study. Conclusion: Few hypertensive patients had received individual lifestyle advice although the majority of patients had a desire for weight loss and increased physical activity. Most patients were aware of the complications of hypertension and the use of alternative therapies such as dietary supplements and health and lifestyle apps were very common. Traditional health care should increase the use of digital questionnaires in order to obtain increased information about patient's lifestyle factors for better targeted treatment.