The impact of a Telehealth-based Behavioral Lifestyle Program on hypertension control in African American participants: results from the HEALS Med-Tech randomized controlled trial

Sunita Dodani; Amanda Clarke; Ismail El Moudden; Tharidu Gunawardena; Navdhit Bedi

doi:10.5114/aoms/177686

The impact of a Telehealth-based Behavioral Lifestyle Program on hypertension control in African American participants: results from the HEALS Med-Tech randomized controlled trial

Arch Med Sci. 2024 Jan 31;20(1):309-312. doi: 10.5114/aoms/177686. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Sunita Dodani¹, Amanda Clarke², Ismail El Moudden², Tharidu Gunawardena², Navdhit Bedi³

Affiliations

¹ Center 4 Health Research, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Illinois, United States.
² Healthcare Analytics and Delivery Science Institute (HADSI), Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia, United States.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, South Carolina, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: The HEALS Med-Tech program offers a unique blend of lifestyle changes and technology to improve hypertension (HTN) management in African Americans (AAs), a group disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods: A randomized controlled trial compared HEALS Med-Tech against usual care for uncontrolled hypertension in AAs, focusing on diet, medication adherence, and telehealth.

Results: In a study of 61 participants, HEALS Med-Tech significantly reduced systolic blood pressure by 12.95 mm Hg (p = 0.008) and 9.19 mm Hg (p = 0.013) at 3 and 12 months, respectively, demonstrating improved hypertension control.

Conclusions: HEALS Med-Tech demonstrates potential in HTN management for AAs, advocating for culturally tailored, tech-integrated healthcare expansion.

Keywords: African Americans; HEALS Med-Tech; behavioral lifestyle intervention; hypertension; telehealth.