Efficacy of Smartphone Applications in Hypertension Management: A Systematic Review

Background: Hypertension is a global health challenge, affecting over a billion individuals worldwide. Despite the availability of effective treatments, control rates remain suboptimal. Emerging technologies, such as smartphone applications, offer new avenues to enhance hypertension management. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of smartphone applications in hypertension management. Methods: To provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized clinical trials that examined the use of smartphone applications in hypertension management. Our search included all relevant studies published until June 2023. Studies were selected based on predefined criteria relating to study design, patient population, intervention type, and outcome measures. Data were extracted and analyzed by two independent reviewers. The primary outcome of interest was blood pressure control, while secondary outcomes included medication adherence and health-related knowledge. Results: From our systematic search, a total of 11 RCTs involving 1,685 participants met our inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The smartphone-based interventions varied widely across studies, ranging from simple text reminders to comprehensive digital therapeutics systems, and including education-based applications, self-monitoring programs, and telemonitoring systems. Collectively, these interventions demonstrated significant improvements in blood pressure control in the intervention groups compared to the standard care. Additionally, they showed increased medication adherence and enhanced health-related knowledge, suggesting potential benefits beyond blood pressure control. Conclusion: The reviewed studies suggest that smartphone applications may provide a beneficial tool for managing hypertension. They show improvements in blood pressure control, medication adherence, and health-related knowledge. These findings underline the potential of digital health interventions to address a global health concern. Nevertheless, further robust, well-designed RCTs are needed to corroborate these findings and explore the long-term effectiveness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of smartphone applications in hypertension management. With the rapid advancement in technology, the role of digital health in hypertension management is likely to become even more critical and complex, making this an area of crucial importance for future research.