THE ROLE OF TELEHEALTH IN IMPROVING FOLLOW-UP VISIT ADHERENCE AMONG PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION

Abstrak

Background: Hypertension remains a major public health challenge worldwide and is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and premature mortality. Effective hypertension management requires regular follow-up visits to monitor blood pressure and treatment outcomes. However, poor adherence to scheduled follow-up visits continues to hinder optimal disease control. Telehealth has emerged as a promising strategy to improve healthcare accessibility, patient engagement, and continuity of care, particularly for individuals with chronic diseases. Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of telehealth in improving follow-up visit adherence among patients with hypertension. Methods: A quasi-experimental study employing a two-group post-test design was conducted among 40 hypertensive patients recruited from a primary healthcare setting. Participants were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 20). The intervention group received telehealth-based services, including remote health education, follow-up monitoring, and appointment reminders, while the control group received standard care. Follow-up visit adherence was assessed using a validated adherence questionnaire and attendance records. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The findings demonstrated a statistically significant difference in follow-up visit adherence between the intervention and control groups (p = 0.001). Patients who received telehealth interventions reported higher adherence scores compared with those receiving standard care, indicating improved compliance with scheduled follow-up visits. Conclusion: Telehealth significantly improved follow-up visit adherence among patients with hypertension. The integration of telehealth into primary healthcare services may represent an effective approach to enhancing patient monitoring, health education, and continuity of care for hypertension management. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are recommended to confirm these findings and evaluate long-term clinical outcomes.