The Retail Outlet Health Kiosk Hypertension Trial (ROKHYT): Pilot Results

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Cardiovascular Disease Management

Background:

• Low blood pressure (BP) control rates (43.7% in NHANES 2017-2018) highlight the need for scalable, non-clinic-based strategies.
• A pilot trial was conducted using a text-messaging intervention delivered through retail health kiosks to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a remote, text-messaging-based intervention for improving blood pressure control.
• To assess BP changes in individuals with elevated BP randomized to the intervention or usual care.

Main Methods:

• 140 individuals with elevated BP (≥140/90 mm Hg) were randomized to receive tailored text messages or usual care.
• BP was measured at kiosks at 3, 6, and 12 months; the primary endpoint used combined 12-month and carried-forward 6-month data due to COVID-19.
• Intervention messages included educational content and links to videos on BP control.

Main Results:

• At the endpoint, 37.7% of the intervention group achieved BP control compared to 27.4% in the usual care group (10.3% difference).
• Intention-to-treat analysis showed 29.0% BP control in the intervention group versus 19.8% in usual care (9.2% difference).
• Adjusted mean BP differences favored the intervention: -5.4 mm Hg systolic and +0.6 mm Hg diastolic.

Conclusions:

• Pilot results suggest that a scalable text-messaging intervention delivered via health kiosks has the potential to improve blood pressure control.
• This digital health approach offers a promising, accessible strategy for managing hypertension remotely.