Hypertension remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide, significantly contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in pharmacological treatment, non-pharmacological support and patient self-care play a crucial role in achieving optimal blood pressure control. This study was designed as a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest controlled trial to test whether a structured telenursing intervention improves self-care behaviors and blood pressure outcomes in adults with chronic hypertension.
The study was conducted at Ağrı Training and Research Hospital in Türkiye between March 2024 and March 2025. A total of 151 participants aged 30-75 years were recruited and assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group received weekly telephone-based nursing counseling sessions delivered by trained nurses for eight consecutive weeks. Counseling covered key self-care topics including medication adherence, dietary modifications, physical activity, stress reduction, and blood pressure self-monitoring. The control group received usual care.
Primary outcomes included changes in systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure. Secondary outcomes included changes in self-efficacy and self-care practices measured by the Hypertension Self-Care Profile (HTN-SCP). Ethical approval was obtained from Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Approval No: E102912). Official permission for implementation was provided by the Ağrı Provincial Directorate of Health (Approval No: E24156). The study was supported by TÜBİTAK (Project No: 919B012319310). Findings from this study aim to support the use of telenursing as a cost-effective digital health strategy for chronic disease management in resource-limited settings.
