February 14, 2024 | Miriam E. Katz, MPH; Reed Mszar, MPH, MS; Alyssa A. Grimshaw, MSLIS; Craig G. Gunderson, MD; Oyere K. Onuma, MD, MSc; Yuan Lu, ScD; Erica S. Spatz, MD, MHS
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the association between digital health interventions and changes in blood pressure (BP) in US populations experiencing health disparities. The study included 28 studies with a total of 8257 participants, focusing on hypertension management through remote BP monitoring, community health workers, and cultural tailoring. Key findings include:
- **Primary Outcomes**: Significant mean differences in systolic BP (SBP) were observed at 6 months (−4.24 mm Hg; 95% CI, −7.33 to −1.14 mm Hg; P = .01) and 12 months (−4.30 mm Hg; 95% CI, −8.80 to −0.23 mm Hg; P = .04) between intervention and control groups.
- **Intervention Characteristics**: Most studies involved multicomponent interventions, including remote BP monitoring, community health workers, and cultural tailoring.
- **Sociodemographic Characteristics**: Participants were predominantly adults (mean age 57.4 years), with a higher proportion of women (60.1%) and a diverse racial and ethnic background.
- **Follow-Up Durations**: Follow-up periods ranged from 3 to 24 months, with most studies focusing on 6 and 12 months.
- **Subgroup Analysis**: Studies with specific racial or ethnic groups, pilot studies, and those with BP as the primary outcome showed minimal effect on heterogeneity.
- **Publication Bias**: No significant publication bias was detected based on Egger's test.
- **Study Quality**: Overall, studies had low to some concerns regarding bias, with a few studies having missing outcome data.
The study concludes that digital health interventions are effective in reducing BP levels in populations experiencing health disparities, suggesting that tailored initiatives leveraging digital health can improve equity in hypertension outcomes.This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the association between digital health interventions and changes in blood pressure (BP) in US populations experiencing health disparities. The study included 28 studies with a total of 8257 participants, focusing on hypertension management through remote BP monitoring, community health workers, and cultural tailoring. Key findings include:
- **Primary Outcomes**: Significant mean differences in systolic BP (SBP) were observed at 6 months (−4.24 mm Hg; 95% CI, −7.33 to −1.14 mm Hg; P = .01) and 12 months (−4.30 mm Hg; 95% CI, −8.80 to −0.23 mm Hg; P = .04) between intervention and control groups.
- **Intervention Characteristics**: Most studies involved multicomponent interventions, including remote BP monitoring, community health workers, and cultural tailoring.
- **Sociodemographic Characteristics**: Participants were predominantly adults (mean age 57.4 years), with a higher proportion of women (60.1%) and a diverse racial and ethnic background.
- **Follow-Up Durations**: Follow-up periods ranged from 3 to 24 months, with most studies focusing on 6 and 12 months.
- **Subgroup Analysis**: Studies with specific racial or ethnic groups, pilot studies, and those with BP as the primary outcome showed minimal effect on heterogeneity.
- **Publication Bias**: No significant publication bias was detected based on Egger's test.
- **Study Quality**: Overall, studies had low to some concerns regarding bias, with a few studies having missing outcome data.
The study concludes that digital health interventions are effective in reducing BP levels in populations experiencing health disparities, suggesting that tailored initiatives leveraging digital health can improve equity in hypertension outcomes.