WHO USES MHEALTH IN HYPERTENSION CARE? - INSIGHTS FROM A QUANTITATIVE SURVEY AMONG HYPERTENSION APP USERS

Abstract

Objective: Digital health technologies, particularly mHealth apps, are proving to be effective tools for both prevention and monitoring of hypertension therapy. The aim of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the profiles and adoption patterns of mHealth users in hypertension care. Design and method: From January to October 2023, a quantitative, standardized questionnaire-survey was conducted with users of a hypertension-focused mHealth app (Hypertension.App). The data analysis included descriptive statistics as well as Bayesian univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. The study is part of the Innovation Fund Project DiPaH. Results: Overall, 255 questionnaires were included in the analysis. The mean age of the app users was 53.6 ± 13.9 years. Most participants were male (54.3%, 139/255), 42.9% (109/255) were female and 0.79% (2/255) non-binary. Most participants had a university degree (44.5%, 113/255) or high school diploma (22%, 56/255). The majority reported that they live in an urban environment (57.8%, 147/255). Overall, 44.5% (113/255) of the participants reported a monthly net income of more than 2500 € per month and 20.1% (51/255) an income between 1500-2500€ per month. The mean eHEALS score (eHealth literacy / 1-40) was 31.0 ± 4.91. Most users received a hypertension diagnosis more than 10 years ago (60.2%, 153/255) or more than 10 years ago. The most common method of discovering the app was personal searches on the web or app store (44.1%, 112/255). The majority reported using the app at least once a week (80.7%, 205/255), with daily usage reported by 52.4% (133/255). However, the app's integration into formal medical treatment was limited, with only 11.8% (30/255) of participants having their medication adjusted based on app entries. Conclusions: The high frequency of app usage suggests that users find it a valuable tool in monitoring their blood pressure. The results indicate that people with a high level of education, high income and in urban regions are more likely to use mHealth in hypertension care. Additionally, the limited integration of the app into medical treatment indicates a gap between personal health monitoring and formal healthcare.