Self-reported compliance of patients receiving antihypertensive treatment: use of a telemonitoring home care system.

Abstract

Home monitoring of blood pressure and self-reported drug administration were investigated. Fifty hypertensive patients used a home telemonitoring service for a year. An average of 39% reported that they had followed their prescribed drug intake. Long-term treatment effectiveness was measured as the change in the weekly average morning systolic blood pressure (SBP). Sixteen patients showed a decrease in SBP, 21 no change and 13 a rise in SBP. There was a significant relationship between reported drug intake and variation in daily blood pressure. Groups differed in the magnitude of this effect. Compared with other groups, the difference (3.4 mmHg) between morning and evening SBP was greatest (and significant) in the patients whose blood pressure decreased during the study. Self-reported data using remote home monitoring reveals considerable differences in patterns of compliance with prescribed treatment as well as in the effectiveness of the drug regime.