Comparing the effects of education using telephone follow-up and smartphone-based social networking follow-up on self-management behaviors among patients with hypertension

Little is known about the benefits of social networks in the management of patients.The aim of this study was to compare the effects of self-management (SM) education using telephone follow-up and mobile phone-based social networking on SM behaviors among patients with hypertension.This randomized clinical trial was conducted with 100 patients. They were randomly allocated to four groups: (i) control, (ii) SM training without follow-up, (iii) telephone follow-up and (iv) smartphone-based social networking follow-up. The hypertension SM behavior questionnaire was used for data collection before and six weeks after the study.Those patients who underwent SM education training (with and without follow-up) had statistically significant differences from those in the control group in terms of SM behaviors (p < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between different types of follow-up.SM education using telephone follow-up and/or smartphone-based social networking follow-up influenced SM behaviors among patients with hypertension.