A Pilot Study on Implementing Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring for Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment in Viet Nam

Introduction: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of home blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring among older Vietnamese adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and uncontrolled hypertension in a Geriatrics clinic in Viet Nam. The recruitment (83.8%) and retention (64.5%) rates demonstrate moderate feasibility; however, significant barriers — such as technical reliability and patient non-adherence — were identified. This study underscores the critical challenges of real-world implementation and offers insights for enhancing future telemonitoring interventions for this vulnerable population. Methods: The control group received standard care, which included adhering to medication prescriptions and attending routine monthly clinic visits for blood pressure monitoring. The locally developed BP telemonitoring device, previously validated at Viet Nam National University, showed an accuracy comparable to international standards. For participants with MCI, caregivers were involved in the consent process to ensure ethical safeguards and full comprehension of study procedures. We conducted a two-arm pilot study. Eligible older patients with MCI and uncontrolled hypertension were invited to participate. Patients were allocated to the intervention group if they were interested in BP telemonitoring; otherwise, they were placed in the control group. Patients were trained to measure their home BP and followed up for three months. Alerts were generated when there were insufficient BP readings. Results: We invited 74 eligible patients, but 12 declined participation. Overall, 62 participants were allocated to the telemonitoring group (n = 31) or the usual care group (n = 31). The recruitment rate was 83.8%, and the retention rate was 64.5%. The most common reason for withdrawing was “telemonitoring BP devices did not work properly” (45.4%). Alerts were triggered in 22 patients (70.9%), and over 80% of these alerts resulted from patient non-adherence and system problems. After three months, systolic BP was lower in both the intervention group and the control group compared to systolic BP at baseline (telemonitoring group, 137.1 [14.5] mm Hg vs. control group, 143.1 [18.8] mm Hg). No significant difference was observed between the two groups (adjusted mean difference −1.58 mm Hg [95% CI −19.25 to 16.08]). Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of home BP telemonitoring in older Vietnamese adults with MCI and uncontrolled hypertension. However, technical reliability and patient adherence issues must be addressed before wider-scale implementation. Future research with a larger sample size and a longer follow-up period is necessary to confirm these findings.