The effect of telehealth on clinical outcomes in patients with hypertension and diabetes: A meta-analysis of 106,261 patients

Abstract

Introduction

Telemedicine, propelled by recent technological advancements, has transformed healthcare delivery, notably benefiting patients with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as systemic arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials aimed to assess the efficacy of telehealth-based interventions on disease control rates and clinical parameters among NCD patients, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

Methods

We conducted searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database for interventional studies that compared tele-monitoring with usual care in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed.

Results

Our meta-analysis included 75 studies, encompassing a total of 106,261 patients, with 50,074 (47.12%) receiving usual care and 56,187 (52.88%) receiving tele-monitoring care. The telemedicine group was associated with a statistically significant reduction in SBP (mean difference (MD) −4.927 mmHg; 95% CI −6.193 to −3.660; p < 0.001; I² = 90%), DBP (MD −2.019 mmHg; 95% CI −2.679 to −1.359; p < 0.001; I² = 54%), FBG (MD −0.405 mmol/L; 95% CI −0.597 to −0.213; p < 0.001; I² = 32%), and HbA1c (MD −0.418%; 95% CI −0.525 to −0.312; p < 0.001; I² = 76%).

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis shows that telehealth technologies notably enhance blood pressure and blood glucose control. This supports integrating telemedicine into clinical protocols as a valuable complementary tool for managing hypertension and diabetes mellitus comprehensively.