WellNet programme improves care of hypertensive patients

WellNet, a patient-centred model of medical home care, leads to clinically meaningful improvements in blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients, a recent study has found.

In total, 352 primary care patients (mean age, 72.6±10.4 years; 52.6 percent male) were enrolled and were given the WellNet intervention programme. They were matched to 3,049 controls (mean age, 72.3±10.8 years; 47.7 percent male) who received standard care. The primary outcome of interest was the between-arm differences in systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP after 12 months.

Within-group analysis revealed that patients assigned to either group saw significant drops in mean SBP and DBP over 12 months of intervention. However, the magnitudes of change were much greater in the treatment group (SBP: –7.0 vs –2.0 mm Hg; DBP: –2.9 vs –1.4 mm Hg).

After correcting for baseline differences and confounders, the WellNet group showed a modest but significant advantage over standard-care controls in terms of SBP reduction (mean difference, –3.4 mmHg, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], –5.1 to –1.7; p<0.001). No such effect was reported for DBP.

WellNet was also superior in terms of secondary outcome measures, including the proportion of patients within the recommended BP range, the proportion of patients transitioning to a lower hypertension grade, and the number of antihypertensive medications.

Following an initial comprehensive health assessment, the WellNet programme generates a patient-centred care plan using an electronic platform that integrates the patients’ clinical records and allows communication among the healthcare team members. In turn, patients are provided with a customizable informational content platform and a mobile app that links them directly to their clinical records.