Perception and identification of barriers to the use of digital technologies in arterial hypertension

Introduction: Electronic devices and communication technologies are increasingly used to provide medical care to patients with high blood pressure. The main objective was to evaluate doctors' perception on the usefulness of digital technologies in hypertension. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of use of digital technologies in the follow-up of patients with hypertension and to identify the barriers perceived by doctors for their implementation in the Argentine Republic. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study, based on a self-administered questionnaire, in the Argentine Republic, and coordinated by the Epidemiology group of the Argentine Society of Arterial Hypertension. Population: Doctors who care for patients with high blood pressure. Results: 247 responses were obtained, 35.6% were women and 64.4% men; 92.3% indicated that the use of digital technologies was useful to improve therapeutic adherence; 54.7% received blood pressure results at home through some digital means; 41.3% regularly carry out teleconsultations, only 6.1% through specific digital health platforms, 29.1% through non-specific platforms, by telephone 21.9% and by email (asynchronous) 10.9%. The main perceived barriers were: availability, financial remuneration, regulations, connectivity problems and lack of time. Conclusion: The perception of professionals is favorable, as they considered these technologies useful to improve therapeutic adherence, which could have a facilitating effect on their implementation, although the perceived barriers are part of organizational issues to be resolved.