For those surrogate outcomes , low-strength evidence failed to show difference .
In subgroup analysis , high strength evidence supported a lower BP with HBPT that lasted for 6 or 12 months and was accompanied with counselling support from study personnel .
HBPT can improve BP control in the hypertensive patients .
It may be more efficacious when a proactive additional support is provided during the intervention process
To summarise evidence about the effectiveness of home blood pressure telemonitoring ( HBPT )  and identify the key components of intervention .
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring: Effect on Use of Medical Services and Medical Care Costs
The objective of this study was to determine whether a hypertension management program in which patients monitor their own blood pressure ( BF ) at home can reduce costs without compromising BP control . The prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled 1-year clinical trial was conducted at four medical centers of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in the San Francisco Bay Area . Of 467 patients with uncomplicated hypertension who were referred by their physicians , 37 declined to participate in the study ; 215 were r and omly assigned to a Usual Care ( UC ) group and 215 to a Home BP group . Twenty-five UC patients and 15 Home BP patients did not return for year-end BP measurements . Patients in the UC group were referred back to their physicians . Patients in the Home BP group were trained to measure their own BP and return the readings by mail . Patients were given a st and ard procedure to follow in case of unusually high or low BP readings at home . The number and type of outpatient medical services used were obtained from patient medical records for the study year and the prior year . Costs of care for hypertension were calculated by assigning relative value units to each outpatient service . Trained technicians measured each patient 's BP at entry into the study and 1 year later . Home BP patients made 1.2 fewer hypertension-related office visits than UC patients during the study year ( 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) : 0.8,1.7 ) . Mean adjusted cost for physician visits , telephone calls , and laboratory tests associated with hypertension care was $ 88.76 per patient per year in the Home BP group , 29 % less than in the UC group ( 95 % CI : $ 16.11 , $ 54.74 ) . The annualized cost of implementing the home BP system was approximately $ 28 per patient during the study year and would currently be approximately $ 15 . After 1 year , BP control in men in the Home BP group was better than in men in the UC group ; BP control was equally good in women in both groups . Management of uncomplicated hypertension based on periodic home BP reports can achieve BP control with fewer physician visits , result ing in substantial cost savings
For those surrogate outcomes , low-strength evidence failed to show difference .
In subgroup analysis , high strength evidence supported a lower BP with HBPT that lasted for 6 or 12 months and was accompanied with counselling support from study personnel .
HBPT can improve BP control in the hypertensive patients .
It may be more efficacious when a proactive additional support is provided during the intervention process
To summarise evidence about the effectiveness of home blood pressure telemonitoring ( HBPT )  and identify the key components of intervention .