Comparing the effects of education using telephone follow-up and smartphone-based social networking follow-up on self-management behaviors among patients with hypertension

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the benefits of social networks in the management of patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of self-management (SM) education using telephone follow-up and mobile phone-based social networking on SM behaviors among patients with hypertension. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted with 100 patients. They were randomly allocated to four groups: (i) control, (ii) SM training without follow-up, (iii) telephone follow-up and (iv) smartphone-based social networking follow-up. The hypertension SM behavior questionnaire was used for data collection before and six weeks after the study. Results: Those patients who underwent SM education training (with and without follow-up) had statistically significant differences from those in the control group in terms of SM behaviors (p < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between different types of follow-up. Conclusion: SM education using telephone follow-up and/or smartphone-based social networking follow-up influenced SM behaviors among patients with hypertension.

Keywords:

• self-management
• self-management behaviors
• telephone follow-up
• smartphone-based social networking follow-up
• hypertension

Acknowledgement

This paper was derived from the master degree thesis supported financially by the School of Nursing and Midwifery affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences. The authors appreciate all patients and officials of the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Iran University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Al-Zahra Specialized Hospital in Isfahan, who made the production of this article possible.

ORCID

Tahereh Najafi Ghezeljeh http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2779-2525

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Iran University of Medical Sciences.