TElemedicine to Replace Face-to-face Physician Consultation in Patients With HyperTension : a Pilot Randomized-controlled Trial

Safety, Feasibility and Acceptability of Using TElemedicine to Replace Face-to-face Physician Consultation in Patients With HyperTension in Hong Kong: a Pilot Randomized-controlled Trial

The investigators has developed a blood pressure telemonitoring system. It is hypothesized that, when optimal control of BP is confirmed on the telemonitoring system, the index physician's consultation can be safely deferred, and medications can still be prescribed without such face-to-face consultation. Despite potentially resource-saving for doctors and time-saving for patients, the feasibility and patients' acceptability of the use of the telemonitoring system to replace face-to-face physician consultation remains unclear.

For primary outcome, the investigators hypothesize that this telemonitoring system will be feasible and acceptable to patients and can replace physicians' face-to-face consultations. For secondary outcomes, the investigators hypothesize that patients receiving care through telemonitoring have non-inferior BP control when compared with patients receiving usual care. Furthermore, the patients receiving telemonitoring may also have enhanced self-efficacy and compliance to drugs and lifestyle interventions

Inclusion Criteria:

• have a diagnosis of essential hypertension (HT) and are currently taking antihypertensive agents
• have good control of clinic BP as confirmed on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) (daytime BP ≤135/85mmHg)
• can read basic Chinese (as the content of the app in Chinese)
• have a home BP monitor (HBPM)
• used any mobile app (not HT-related) in the previous 1 year

Exclusion Criteria:

• an inability to give informed consent
• unwillingness to conduct HBPM or repeated ABPM
• current use of any other HT app for BP monitoring
• relative contraindications to ABPM (diagnosed atrial fibrillation, occupational drivers or patients with bleeding tendencies)
• severe mental illness, including those diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia or as being actively suicidal, because these patients may have diminished ability to use the HT app;
• a diagnosis of other chronic disease(s) that need regular physical assessments and doctors' consultations (e.g. diabetes and asthma that are being treated, but patients with hypertension and hyperlipidaemia will remain eligible)
• diagnosed active cancer,