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Typing blood pressure into a text got it sent more often than an app

Who it’s about: Adults, People with a health condition

A smiling woman in a checked cardigan stands on a stone step and posts an envelope into a post box beside her, over and over.
  1. Helped

    People who typed readings into a text reply sent them on more days than when an app synced them.

    Small randomised trial of 47 adults with kidney disease and high blood pressure · vs the same people when an app sent readings · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ no untreated control group; pre-post step counts only

  2. No comparison

    Daily steps roughly doubled during the programme and stayed up for 12 weeks, with no other group to compare.

    Small randomised trial of 47 adults with kidney disease and high blood pressure · no comparison group · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ no untreated control group; pre-post step counts only

The study

Who took part

47 adults with stage 3 or 4 long-term kidney disease and treated high blood pressure, at one US hospital. Their middle age was 63, about half were women and 45 in 100 were Black.

What they did

Everyone got the same 12-week plan. They set goals for blood pressure checks and steps, and got a home blood pressure cuff and a Fitbit. They got reminders at times they chose, a nightly reminder to send steps, and feedback. For 6 weeks they typed their blood pressure into a text. For the other 6 weeks an app sent it for them, in a random order.

What happened

People sent their blood pressure on 87 in 100 days when they typed it, against 74 in 100 with the app. They sent steps on 98 in 100 days against 95. Daily steps went from about 3,100 the week before to about 6,400 in week 1 and stayed above 6,000 for 12 weeks. But there was no group without the plan, and blood pressure didn't clearly change.

Source

Supporting Self-Management of Healthy Behaviors in Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension (2024)

DOI: 10.2215/cjn.0000000000000492

Tools in this study

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