Identification of factors affecting using health information technology for hypertension management: A systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Background: Health information technology helps patients take better care of themselves and improves the health status of patients with chronic diseases, such as hypertension. Objective: we conducted this study with the aim of identifying factors affecting the use of health information technology in hypertension management. Methods: This is a systematic review study conducted in 2022. To obtain relevant articles, databases including Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, and PubMed were searched and the time period was between 2013 and 2022. Initially, 827 articles were retrieved and after the screening, we selected 50 articles for inclusion in the study. Results: we can divide the factors affecting the use of health information technology in hypertension management into motivating and inhibiting factors and we can categorize each of them into five groups organizational, technical, economic, individual, and ethical/legal factors. Motivating factors include improving patient and service provider communication and increasing patient participation, remembering and providing voice reminders by technologies, saving money and time, and helping to keep personal identity and type of illness confidential (in situations where the patient wants to it is not to raise it with the doctor and others), quick and easy access to information and services and increasing the patient's adherence to treatment and medication. The inhibiting factors also included the increase in workload, resistance to change, lack of technical support and immediate resolution of technology problems, poverty and financial problems, privacy concerns, lack of motivation and interest, low knowledge and awareness (education), and lack of computer skills. Conclusion: Identifying motivating and inhibiting factors can help to better use technologies for hypertension management. Overall, this approach can improve the acceptability of these technologies and save costs, reduce the long-term complications of hypertension, and improve the quality of life of hypertension patients.