Exploring the Acceptability of Web-Based Health Modalities in Individuals With Hypertension: Qualitative Study

Hypertension is a significant public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, where access to care is crucial for effective treatment and control. Web-based health modalities provide a promising solution to overcome barriers to care, particularly in underresourced communities, if those communities engage with the technology.

This study aims to examine the past experiences, perceptions, and preferences of using web-based health modalities for health care access among community members with or at high risk for hypertension.

Semistructured interviews were completed with individuals randomly selected from a sample of community members in Soweto, South Africa, previously screened as having either elevated (systolic blood pressure [BP]≥120-139 mm Hg or diastolic BP≥80-89 mm Hg) or high (systolic BP≥140 mm Hg or diastolic BP≥90 mm Hg) BP to determine their past experiences using web-based services and what their perceptions were on using such services. An interview script, grounded in the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model, was used to guide the interviews. Deductive thematic analysis was used to code the interviews and identify common themes.

A total of 178 community members (including 104 with elevated BP and 74 with high BP) were randomly selected and invited to participate in the study. Forty interviews were conducted with individuals from the elevated (n=20) and high (n=20) BP groups. Four major themes emerged from the interviews regarding using technology to receive health care services: (1) trust and credibility of health professionals in a web-based environment, (2) comfort level using technology to receive health care, (3) experience using technology to receive health care, and (4) preference for in-person versus web-based interactions.

Despite being open and receptive toward the use of web-based health modalities to receive health care, participants preferred in-person interactions due to both a lack of experience using web-based health care and familiarity with traditional in-person health services. Further research is needed to understand how technology may aid future hypertension management efforts in urban African communities.