DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR COMPREHENSIVENESS IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN THE BRAZILIAN UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM: NON-RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL

Resumo

Comprehensive treatment is one of the guidelines of the Unified Health System for the treatment of arterial hypertension, and digital technologies are potentially useful resources to provide it. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of m-Health on the health conditions of patients with hypertension treated in the Unified Health System. In a trial involving 63 participants over 12 weeks, the m-Health app's effects were compared to conventional monitoring methods. The results showed that while the m-Health group experienced a significant drop in systolic blood pressure, there was no notable improvement in treatment adherence or eating habits. Additionally, user feedback indicated that the app had a neutral effect and required modifications to better cater to users, emphasizing the need for m-Health solutions to be tailored for underserved, low-income, and less-educated populations.

Keywords: Hypertension; Consumer Health Informatics; Primary Health Care