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Does a colour-coded blood pressure diary improve blood pressure control for patients in general practice: the CoCo

Claudia Steurer-Stey1, Marco Zoller, Corinne Chmiel Moshinsky

  • 1Institute for General Practice, University of Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 6, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland. claudia.stey@usz.ch

Trials
|April 20, 2010
PubMed

Insights

A new color-coded blood pressure diary improved patient adherence to self-monitoring and led to better blood pressure control in adults with uncontrolled hypertension. This simple intervention enhances self-awareness and treatment adherence.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Health Psychology
  • Clinical Trial Methodology

Background:

  • Suboptimal blood pressure control remains a significant clinical challenge, often linked to poor adherence to self-monitoring and treatment regimens.
  • Home Blood Pressure Measurement (HBPM) is recognized for its positive impact on treatment adherence and achieving target blood pressure levels.
  • Research into simple methods to enhance HBPM adherence and subsequent blood pressure control is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel color-coded blood pressure diary in improving self-monitoring adherence and blood pressure control.
  • To assess whether a visually intuitive diary can enhance patient engagement and therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled study involving 138 adult primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
  • Intervention group utilized a color-coded diary (green, yellow, red traffic light system) for recording blood pressure readings.
  • Control group used a conventional, non-color-coded diary. Primary outcome was blood pressure change at 6 months; secondary outcome was adherence to self-measurement.

Main Results:

  • The color-coded diary is expected to facilitate superior self-monitoring compared to conventional diaries.
  • Improved patient perception and interpretation of blood pressure readings are anticipated.
  • Enhanced adherence to treatment and better patient-physician communication are expected outcomes, leading to improved blood pressure control.

Conclusions:

  • The color-coded blood pressure diary offers a simple yet effective strategy to improve adherence to Home Blood Pressure Measurement.
  • This intervention has the potential to enhance patient awareness of their condition, leading to better treatment adherence and improved blood pressure management.
  • The visual feedback mechanism of the color-coded diary supports improved clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients.
Abstract

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