BACKGROUND: Inadequate blood pressure (BP) control could be due to incorrect management of hypertensives caused by the lack of interaction between general practitioners (GP) and hypertension specialists. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness on BP and total cardiovascular risk (TCVR) control of an internet-based digital network connecting specialists and GPs. METHODS: We created a network among the Hypertension Clinic, Federico II University (Naples, Italy), 23 hospital-based hypertension clinics and 60 GPs from the area (CampaniaSalute Network, CS). Randomized GPs enrolled in CS could update online records of patients (n = 1979). As a control, we included 2045 patients referred to the specialist clinics by GPs from outside the network. All patients completed a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: CS provided a larger reduction in BP [systolic/diastolic BP (SBP/DBP): 7.3 +/- 0.4/5.4 +/- 0.3 versus 4.1 +/- 0.4/3.1 +/- 0.26 mmHg, CS versus control; P < 0.001 for both] and percentage of patients with BP < 140/90 mmHg (CS versus control: baseline, 33 versus 34\%, NS; end of follow-up, 51 versus 47\%, chi = 13.371; P < 0.001). A European Society of Hypertension-European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC) TCVR score was calculated [from 1 (average) to 5 (very high TCVR)]. The CS group showed a reduction in the mean TCVR score (CS: from 3.5 +/- 0.02 to 3.2 +/- 0, P < 0.01, ANOVA; control group: 3.5 +/- 0.03 to 3.4 +/- 0.03, NS) and, accordingly, fatal and non-fatal major cardiovascular events (MACE) were less frequent (2.9 versus 4.3\%; chi = 5.047, P < 0.02). CS predicts fewer MACE in multiple binary regression analysis (beta:-7.27, P < 0.008) reducing the risk for MACE compared to control [odds ratio (OR): 0.838; 95\% confidence interval (CI): 0.73-0.96]. CONCLUSION: Our results support the idea that telemedicine can achieve better control of BP and TCVR.

The use of a telematic connection for the follow-up of hypertensive patients improves the cardiovascular prognosis / DE LUCA, Nicola; Izzo, Raffaele; Iaccarino, Guido; Pier Luigi, Malini; Morisco, Carmine; Rozza, Francesco; Gianni Luigi, Iovino; Maria Assunta, Elena; Clara, Bodenizza; Francesca, Lanni; Luigi, Guerrera; Oreste, Arcucci; Trimarco, Bruno. - In: JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION. - ISSN 0263-6352. - STAMPA. - 23:(2005), pp. 1417-1423.

The use of a telematic connection for the follow-up of hypertensive patients improves the cardiovascular prognosis.

DE LUCA, NICOLA;IZZO, RAFFAELE;IACCARINO, GUIDO;MORISCO, CARMINE;ROZZA, FRANCESCO;TRIMARCO, BRUNO
2005

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Inadequate blood pressure (BP) control could be due to incorrect management of hypertensives caused by the lack of interaction between general practitioners (GP) and hypertension specialists. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness on BP and total cardiovascular risk (TCVR) control of an internet-based digital network connecting specialists and GPs. METHODS: We created a network among the Hypertension Clinic, Federico II University (Naples, Italy), 23 hospital-based hypertension clinics and 60 GPs from the area (CampaniaSalute Network, CS). Randomized GPs enrolled in CS could update online records of patients (n = 1979). As a control, we included 2045 patients referred to the specialist clinics by GPs from outside the network. All patients completed a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: CS provided a larger reduction in BP [systolic/diastolic BP (SBP/DBP): 7.3 +/- 0.4/5.4 +/- 0.3 versus 4.1 +/- 0.4/3.1 +/- 0.26 mmHg, CS versus control; P < 0.001 for both] and percentage of patients with BP < 140/90 mmHg (CS versus control: baseline, 33 versus 34\%, NS; end of follow-up, 51 versus 47\%, chi = 13.371; P < 0.001). A European Society of Hypertension-European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC) TCVR score was calculated [from 1 (average) to 5 (very high TCVR)]. The CS group showed a reduction in the mean TCVR score (CS: from 3.5 +/- 0.02 to 3.2 +/- 0, P < 0.01, ANOVA; control group: 3.5 +/- 0.03 to 3.4 +/- 0.03, NS) and, accordingly, fatal and non-fatal major cardiovascular events (MACE) were less frequent (2.9 versus 4.3\%; chi = 5.047, P < 0.02). CS predicts fewer MACE in multiple binary regression analysis (beta:-7.27, P < 0.008) reducing the risk for MACE compared to control [odds ratio (OR): 0.838; 95\% confidence interval (CI): 0.73-0.96]. CONCLUSION: Our results support the idea that telemedicine can achieve better control of BP and TCVR.
2005
The use of a telematic connection for the follow-up of hypertensive patients improves the cardiovascular prognosis / DE LUCA, Nicola; Izzo, Raffaele; Iaccarino, Guido; Pier Luigi, Malini; Morisco, Carmine; Rozza, Francesco; Gianni Luigi, Iovino; Maria Assunta, Elena; Clara, Bodenizza; Francesca, Lanni; Luigi, Guerrera; Oreste, Arcucci; Trimarco, Bruno. - In: JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION. - ISSN 0263-6352. - STAMPA. - 23:(2005), pp. 1417-1423.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/343009
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