[Effectiveness of an intervention to provide information to patients with hypertension as short text messages and reminders sent to their mobile phone (HTA-Alert)].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the effect of an intervention to provide information with mobile phone text messages to patients with hypertension on compliance with therapy for hypertension.


METHODS
Comparative, controlled, multicenter, randomized cluster study.


METHODS
26 primary care health centers in Spain.


METHODS
26 researchers were randomized to a control group or an intervention group (52 patients each, for a total of 104 patients). All patients were receiving monotherapy for uncontrolled hypertension.


METHODS
Patients in the control group received their physician's usual interventions. Patients in the intervention group received messages and reminders sent to their mobile phones 2 days per week during 4 months.


METHODS
Tablets were counted and blood pressure was measured at the start of the study and 1, 3, and 6 months later. The percentage of compliers, mean percentage of compliance and degree of control of hypertension were compared. The reduction in absolute and relative risk was calculated, as was the number of individuals needed to treat to avoid noncompliance.


RESULTS
The results were evaluated for a total of 67 individuals (34 in the intervention group and 33 in the control group). The rate of compliance was 85.1% (CI, 74.9%-95.3%) overall, 85.7% (CI, 70.5%-100.9%) in the control group and 84.4% in the intervention group (CI, 70.7%-95.3%) (P=NS). Mean percentage compliance was 90.2%+/-16.3% overall, 88.1%+/-20.8% in the control group and 91.9%+/-11.6% in the intervention group (P=NS). The percentage of patients whose hypertension was controlled at the end of the study was 51.5% (CI, 34.4%-68.6%) in the control group and 64.7% (CI, 48.6%-80.8%) in the intervention group (P=NS).


CONCLUSIONS
The telephone messaging intervention with alerts and reminders sent to mobile phones did not improve compliance with therapy in patients with hypertension.
Márquez Contreras
E
E
Centro de Salud La Orden, Huelva, Spain. emarquezc@papps.org
de la Figuera von Wichmann
M
M
Gil Guillén
V
V
Ylla-Catalá
A
A
Figueras
M
M
Balaña
M
M
Naval
J
J
D000368:Aged; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome