Home-Based Care for Hypertension in Rural South Africa
Mark J. Siedner, Nombulelo Magula, Lusanda Mazibuko, Nsika Sithole, Alison Castle, Siyabonga Nxumalo, Thabang Manyaapelo, Shafika Abrahams‐Gessel, Dickman Gareta, Joanna Orne‐Gliemann, Kathy Baisley, Max Bachmann, Thomas A. Gaziano
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Poorly controlled hypertension is a common problem worldwide, particularly in low-resource settings. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, randomized, controlled trial of a home-based model of hypertension care in South Africa. Adults with hypertension were assigned to receive home-based care, which consisted of patient monitoring of blood pressure, home visits from a community health worker (CHW) for data collection and medication delivery, and remote nurse-led decision making supported by a mobile application (CHW group); enhanced home-based care, which consisted of the same intervention but with blood-pressure machines transmitting readings automatically (enhanced CHW group); or standard care with clinic-based management (standard-care group). The primary outcome was the systolic blood pressure at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were the systolic blood pressure at 12 months and hypertension control at 6 and 12 months. Safety outcomes included adverse events, deaths, and retention in care. RESULTS: A total of 774 adults underwent randomization. The mean age was 62 years; 76.0% of the participants were women, 13.6% had diabetes mellitus, and 46.5% had human immunodeficiency virus infection. The mean systolic blood pressure at 6 months was lower in the CHW group than in the standard-care group (difference, -7.9 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI], -10.5 to -5.3; P<0.001) and was also lower in the enhanced CHW group than in the standard-care group (difference, -9.1 mm Hg; 95% CI, -11.7 to -6.4; P<0.001). The percentage of participants with hypertension control at 6 months was 32.5% in the standard-care group, as compared with 57.4% in the CHW group (relative risk, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.40 to 2.13) and 61.3% in the enhanced CHW group (relative risk, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.27). The improvements in systolic blood pressure and hypertension control with home-based care appeared to persist at 12 months. Severe adverse events and deaths occurred in 2.7% and 1.0% of the participants, respectively, and occurred in a similar percentage of participants across trial groups. Retention in care was observed in more than 95% of the participants in the CHW and enhanced CHW groups. CONCLUSIONS: In South Africa, home-based hypertension care led to a significantly lower mean systolic blood pressure at 6 months than standard, clinic-based care. (Supported by the National Institutes of Health and others; IMPACT-BP ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05492955; South African National Clinical Trials Register number, DOH-27-112022-4895.).