MedPath

Interventions to Improve Non-communicable Disease Management During the Pandemic

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
COVID-19
Noncommunicable Diseases
Interventions
Other: Digital health interventions
Registration Number
NCT05699369
Lead Sponsor
University of Toronto
Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to implement and evaluate a comprehensive package of digital health interventions for integrated COVID-non-communicable diseases (NCDs) care to manage NCDs in primary care facilities in rural Pakistan. The main questions it aims to answer are 1) whether such interventions are effective; 2) how they were implemented; and 3) whether such interventions are cost-effective.

30 rural health centers in Punjab Province, Pakistan will be randomized into two groups. The intervention group will provide a comprehensive package of digital health interventions to connect patients, patient champions, and public health providers to improve the management of NCDs during the pandemic, including 1) providing training to health providers regarding an integrated NCD-COVID guideline; 2) using a smartphone app to improve NCD case management and linking with patient champions; and 3) employing telementoring platform to improve quality of care. Usual care will be provided in the control group. Researchers will compare the two groups to see if the systolic blood pressure can be controlled better in the intervention group at 10 months.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1500
Inclusion Criteria
  • Reside in the catchment of selected rural health centers;
  • Provide informed consent;
  • Newly diagnosed of hypertension, i.e., having a baseline blood pressure reading (recorded from the second blood pressure reading using a validated electronic blood pressure machine) of more than 140/90 mmHg; or who is an existing hypertensive patient but with uncontrolled blood pressure with a baseline blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg;
  • Have a smartphone or can access a smartphone from a relative.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients having an acute cardiovascular event in the last three months, terminal disease, or other conditions that the rural health center staff determine that will make participation impossible.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Intervention armDigital health interventionsA comprehensive package of digital health interventions to connect patients, patient champions and public health providers to improve the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during the pandemic will be implemented, including 1) providing training to health providers regarding an integrated NCD-COVID guideline; 2) using a smartphone app to improve NCD case management and linking with patient champions; and 3) employing telementoring platform to improve quality of care. Patient champions are experienced patients who can provide peer support.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) measured in the rural health centerAt 10 months
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) measured in the rural health centerAt 10 months
Systolic and diastolic blood pressureAt 6 months
Percentage of patients with controlled blood pressure measured below 140/90 mmHg for patients with hypertension but without diabetes, and below 130/80 mmHg for patients with diabetesAt 10 months
Body mass index (BMI)At 10 months
Proportion of participants been admitted to district hospitals for any reasonsDuring the 10-month intervention period
Random blood glucose (mmol/L)At 10 months
Number of consultations with RHC doctors, including both in-person and virtual consultationsDuring the 10-month intervention period
Proportion of patients who have had at least three doses of COVID vaccinationsAt 10 months
All-cause mortality rateDuring the 10-month intervention period

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Primary care facilities

🇵🇰

Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath