Table 2.
Characteristics of the studies included for the systematic review: interventions targeting blood pressure.a
| Study | Setting and study length | Participants | Age (years), mean (SD) | Sex (% female) | Intervention | Control | Primary; secondary outcomes |
| e-BP 2008 [29] | 3-arm RCT; USA; 12 m | 778 people with Internet, hypertension, from GPs: 61.1% obese | 59.1 (8.5) | 52 | (1) Website: BP self-monitoring;b (2) 1 + pharmacist supportc | General website: personal medical record | Change in diastolic, systolic and mean BP |
| Nolan 2012 [54] | 2-arm RCT; Canada; 4 m | 387 people with hypertension via website: 41% obese | 56.5 (7.4) | 59 | BP action plan website: assessing motivational readiness, advice, feedback, education | E-newsletters | Change in diastolic and systolic BP, and pulse pressure |
| Bove 2013 [55] | 2-arm RCT; USA; 6 m | 241 people with elevated BP from 2 clinics | 59.6 (13.6) | 65 | Website + telephone system: education, self-monitoring (BP, weight, exercise), online nurse support, doctor informed | Provision of data from initial assessment, usual care | Proportion of participants with controlled BP at 6 m |
| Madsen 2008 [56] | 2-arm RCT; Denmark; 6 m | 236 people with hypertension from 10 GPs | 55.9 (11.7) | 50 | Website: self-monitoring (BP), feedback from own doctor by email | Usual care | Change in ambulatory systolic BP -at 6 m |
| Magid 2013 [57] | 2-arm RCT; USA; 6 m | 348 people with hypertension from 10 clinics | 60 (11) | 40 | Written educational material, website: self-monitoring (BP), pharmacist support, doctor informed, reminders | Written education material, usual care | Proportion of participants with controlled BP at 6 m |
| McKinstry 2013 [38] | 2-arm RCT; Scotland; 6 m | 401 people with hypertension from 20 GPs | 60.7 (11.2) | 40 | Telemonitoring unit + website: self-monitoring (BP), feedback from own doctor | Usual care | Mean ambulatory BP at 6 m |
| Thiboutot 2013 [58] | 2-arm cluster RCT; USA; 12 m | 500 patients with elevated BP from 54 GPs | 60.5 (11.9) | 58 | Website: self-monitoring (BP, medication), feedback, reminders | Different prevention website (eg, breast screening) | BP control at 12 m |
a Abbreviations: BP: blood pressure; GP: general practitioner.
b For studies with more than 2 arms, this arm was used for all analyses.
c For studies with more than 2 arms, this arm was used for the subgroup analysis on blended interventions.