title: Home blood pressure monitoring--a trial on the effect of a structured education program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to assess whether a structured home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) education program can improve blood pressure control in patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster randomised controlled trial in which half of 240 patients in the intervention group received an education program focused on using HBPM machines at home, while the other half had the usual care. The primary endpoints were mean systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systolic blood pressure dropped 1.88 mmHg (p=0.372) and diastolic blood pressure significantly dropped 3.84 mmHg (p=0.004) in intervention group at 3 months. At 6 months, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were still on a decreasing trend, but there was no significant difference in blood pressure changes between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The structured HBPM education program has the potential to improve patient blood pressure control at short term, but such effect appears tailing off at medium terms. Additional components may be needed to maximise and sustain the benefit of HBPM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. cfsc@hku.hk
authors.forename: Colman Siu-Cheung
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: William Chi-Wai
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Carlos King-Ho
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cindy Lo-Kuen
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016037:Single-Blind Method