Ensaio clínico controlado randomizado sobre o uso de Short Message Services (SMS) na adesão ao tratamento da hipertensão arterial sistêmica

Abstract

Clinical trials have shown that treatment for stage 1 and 2 hypertension can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, despite the availability of effective treatment, more than half of patients completely abandon treatment within approximately one year after diagnosis. Thus, the use of Short Message Services (SMS) via cellphone could represent a simple resource, able to reinforce the regular use of medication by patients, avoiding worsening of state. The present study was conducted as a randomized, open, controlled, crossover, single-center clinical trial, within a 17 months period, and involved 57 hypertensive subjects recruited from health centers at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. Patients were randomly assigned to groups to receive or not text messages via cellphone, aiming the development of conditioned behavior and increasing adherence to treatment. At the end of the study, the mean blood pressure measurements were compared in order to verify the control level of each group. In the results, no significant differences were observed for the use of the messaging service, but it was identified that both groups were able to maintain the average control of blood pressure, regardless of the reinforcement offered via SMS.