Hyang Yuol Lee1,2, Ju Young Kim3,4, Ki Young Na4,5,6,7, Hwa Yeon Park8, Jinah Han3, Yuliya Pak3, Bola Nam9, Chae Hyun Pae7, Jisun Lee10, Tae Ho Lim11, Donghun Lee11. 1. 1 Research Institute of Healthcare Policy, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. 2. 2 Research Institute of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Korea. 3. 3 Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. 4. 4 College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea. 5. 5 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. 6. 6 Office of Humanitarian and Public Healthcare Support, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. 7. 7 Office of External Affairs, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. 8. 8 Health Promotion Center, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea. 9. 9 Overseas Business Team, ezCaretech Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Korea. 10. 10 Clinical Administration Team, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. 11. 11 HealthConnect Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Rapid globalization has produced a growing demand for the chronic care management of overseas populations living in medically underserved areas. This study investigated the utilization pattern of telehealth counselling among overseas Koreans with high blood pressure, and evaluated the relationships between mobile self-monitoring application and blood pressure reduction. METHODS: A global chronic management programme consisting of lifestyle modification and self-monitoring blood pressure was launched to provide a telehealth counselling service for Koreans with high blood pressure living in Vietnam from August 2016 to December 2017. During the first telehealth session, doctors educated patients on lifestyle modifications using a mobile self-monitoring application and checked the change of blood pressure in a follow-up telehealth visit. We examined utilization patterns and compared the blood pressure change among the mobile self-monitoring group versus the control group using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. RESULTS: A total of 234 patients with systolic blood pressure of more than 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of more than 80 mmHg were registered, installed the mobile app and were provided with automated blood pressure devices with the telehealth counselling service by Korean doctors. A follow-up telehealth counselling session was provided at three months. Only 15% (36/234) received two or more telehealth counselling sessions. Significant differences were found in the mean change of systolic blood pressure at three months in the monitoring group and the non-monitoring group (-16.0 vs. -5.7, p = 0.008). DISCUSSION: In this unique telehealth study, a mobile self-monitoring application was associated with significantly reducing systolic blood pressure levels in three months. Encouraging patients via a mobile application that includes a self-monitoring function might have the potential for self-managing chronic diseases, especially in resource-limited environments.
INTRODUCTION: Rapid globalization has produced a growing demand for the chronic care management of overseas populations living in medically underserved areas. This study investigated the utilization pattern of telehealth counselling among overseas Koreans with high blood pressure, and evaluated the relationships between mobile self-monitoring application and blood pressure reduction. METHODS: A global chronic management programme consisting of lifestyle modification and self-monitoring blood pressure was launched to provide a telehealth counselling service for Koreans with high blood pressure living in Vietnam from August 2016 to December 2017. During the first telehealth session, doctors educated patients on lifestyle modifications using a mobile self-monitoring application and checked the change of blood pressure in a follow-up telehealth visit. We examined utilization patterns and compared the blood pressure change among the mobile self-monitoring group versus the control group using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. RESULTS: A total of 234 patients with systolic blood pressure of more than 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of more than 80 mmHg were registered, installed the mobile app and were provided with automated blood pressure devices with the telehealth counselling service by Korean doctors. A follow-up telehealth counselling session was provided at three months. Only 15% (36/234) received two or more telehealth counselling sessions. Significant differences were found in the mean change of systolic blood pressure at three months in the monitoring group and the non-monitoring group (-16.0 vs. -5.7, p = 0.008). DISCUSSION: In this unique telehealth study, a mobile self-monitoring application was associated with significantly reducing systolic blood pressure levels in three months. Encouraging patients via a mobile application that includes a self-monitoring function might have the potential for self-managing chronic diseases, especially in resource-limited environments.