The Effect of Continuous Care Model on Blood Pressure and Quality of Life in Patients with Hypertension: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Abstract

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the most common diseases in all populations. Since people with hypertension have a lower quality of life (QoL) compared to healthy people, it is necessary to follow up these patients according to their conditions. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a continuous care model on blood pressure and QoL in hypertensive patients. Methods: Using a random sampling method, this randomized clinical trial (RCT) included 66 patients with hypertension referring to the clinic of Shahid Madani hospital in Tabriz, Iran in 2019. Data collection tools in this research were demographic information questionnaire, sphygmomanometer control device and stethoscope and Quality of Life questionnaire (The Short Form Health Survey-12, SF-12). The patients were randomly assigned into two groups of control and experimental. After the pre-test, the patients' needs in the experimental group were assessed and the problems were resolved. Then, the post-test was performed one month and two months after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 13. Results: After the intervention, there was a significant difference in the QoL score and blood pressure in the experimental group. However, this difference was not significant in the control group. Conclusion: Results indicated that using a follow-up care model had a positive effect on the blood pressure and QoL of patients with hypertension. It is recommended that further studies examine the impact of the integrated care model on QoL in other chronic diseases.