Ethnic differences in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to dietary salt intake and association with hypertension in Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study.

The association between high salt intake and elevated blood pressure levels has been well-documented. However, studies on how effectively this knowledge translates into actionable practices, particularly across different ethnic groups, remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards dietary salt intake across ethnicities and determine its association with hypertension. 5128 Malaysian adults recruited from a national blood pressure screening study completed questionnaires on demographics, and KAP related to dietary salt intake. There were 57.4% Malay, 23.5% Chinese, 10.4% Indian, and 8.7% individuals of other ethnic groups. Overall, more than 90% of the participants knew that a high salt intake causes serious health problems, but only around one-third knew the relationship between high salt intake and strokes and heart failure. Participants of different ethnic groups displayed significant differences in the KAP domains, where Indians generally exhibited better knowledge, attitudes, and reported better practices such as reading salt labels and using spices. Those who were unaware of the difference between salt and sodium and who reported not reading salt labels had higher odds of having elevated blood pressure. These findings demonstrate that while there is a suboptimal translation of salt knowledge into practice in Malaysia, with significant differences in KAP observed between ethnic groups, the potential of improving health outcomes by improving the clarity and awareness of salt labels is substantial. Tailored education promoting salt-label reading, minimizing processed foods intake and discretionary salt use should be ethnic-specific to better curb this escalating hypertension epidemic.

Online health information behaviour and its association with statin adherence in patients with high cardiovascular risk: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: Statins are effective for preventing cardiovascular disease. However, many patients decide not to take statins because of negative influences, such as online misinformation. Online health information may affect decisions on medication adherence, but measuring it is challenging. This study aimed to examine the associations between online health information behaviour and statin adherence in patients with high cardiovascular risk. Methods: A prospective cohort study involving 233 patients with high cardiovascular risk was conducted at a primary care clinic in Malaysia. Participants used a digital information diary tool to record online health information they encountered for 2 months and completed a questionnaire about statin necessity, concerns and adherence at the end of the observation period. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results: The results showed that 55.8% (130 of 233 patients) encountered online health information. Patients who actively sought online health information (91 of 233 patients) had higher concerns about statin use (ß = 0.323, p = 0.023). Participants with higher concern about statin use were also more likely to be non-adherent (ß = -0.337, p < 0.001). Patients who actively sought online health information were more likely to have lower statin adherence, mediated by higher concerns about statin use (indirect effect, ß = -0.109, p = 0.048). Conclusions: Our results suggest that patients with higher levels of concern about statins may be actively seeking online information about statins, and their concerns might influence how they search, what they find, and the potential to encounter misinformation. Our study highlights the importance of addressing patients' concerns about medications to improve adherence.

How do patients with high cardiovascular risk evaluate online health information? A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: People are exposed to variable health information from the Internet, potentially influencing their health decision-making and behaviour. It remains a challenge for people to discern between good- and poor-quality online health information (OHI). This study explored how patients evaluate and determine trust in statin-related OHI in patients with high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: This qualitative study used vignettes and think-aloud methods. We recruited patients from a primary care clinic who were at least 18 years old, had high cardiovascular risk and had previously sought OHI. Participants were given two statin-related vignettes: Vignette 1 (low-quality information) and Vignette 2 (high-quality information). Participants voiced their thoughts aloud when reading the vignettes and determined the trust level for each vignette using a 5-point Likert scale. This was followed by a semi-structured interview which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 20 participants were recruited, with age ranging from 38-74 years. Among all the high cardiovascular-risk participants, eight had pre-existing cardiovascular diseases. For Vignette 1 (low-quality information), five participants trusted it while nine participants were unsure of their trust. 17 participants (85%) trusted Vignette 2 (high-quality information). Five themes emerged from the analysis of how patients evaluated OHI: (1) logical content, (2) neutral stance and tone of OHI content, (3) credibility of the information source, (4) consistent with prior knowledge and experience, and (5) corroboration with information from other sources. CONCLUSION: Patients with high cardiovascular risks focused on the content, source credibility and information consistency when evaluating and determining their trust in statin-related OHI. Doctors should adopt a more personalised approach when discussing statin-related online misinformation with patients by considering their prior knowledge, beliefs and experience of statin use.

Utility and usability evaluation of an information diary tool to measure health information access and exposure among patients with high cardiovascular risk.

Background: Online health misinformation about statins potentially affects health decision-making on statin use and adherence. We developed an information diary platform (IDP) to measure topic-specific health information exposure where participants record what information they encounter. We evaluated the utility and usability of the smartphone diary from the participants' perspective. Methods: We used a mixed-method design to evaluate how participants used the smartphone diary tool and their perspectives on usability. Participants were high cardiovascular-risk patients recruited from a primary care clinic and used the tool for a week. We measured usability with the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire and interviewed participants to explore utility and usability issues. Results: The information diary was available in three languages and tested with 24 participants. The mean SUS score was 69.8 ± 12.9. Five themes related to utility were: IDP functions as a health information diary; supporting discussion of health information with doctors; wanting a feedback function about credible information; increasing awareness of the need to appraise information; and wanting to compare levels of trust with other participants or experts. Four themes related to usability were: ease of learning and use; confusion about selecting the category of information source; capturing offline information by uploading photos; and recording their level of trust. Conclusion: We found that the smartphone diary can be used as a research instrument to record relevant examples of information exposure. It potentially modifies how people seek and appraise topic-specific health information.

Cardiovascular health metrics in low and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: In 2010 the American Heart Association defined the concept of ideal cardiovascular health to renew the focus on primordial prevention for cardiovascular disease. Evidence primarily from high-income countries suggests ideal CVH prevalence is low and decreases with age, with vulnerable populations differentially affected. We aimed to identify and characterize the evidence relevant to CVH metrics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute guideline for the conduct of this scoping review. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS and study registers from inception to 14 March 2022. We included cross-sectional and cohort studies in populations representing a geographically-defined unit (urban or rural) in LMICs, and with data on CVH metrics i.e. all health or clinical factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, glycemia and body mass index) and at least one health behavior (smoking, diet or physical activity). We report findings following the PRISMA-Scr extension for scoping reviews. RESULTS: We included 251 studies; 85% were cross-sectional. Most studies (70.9%) came from just ten countries. Only 6.8% included children younger than 12 years old. Only 34.7% reported seven metrics; 25.1%, six. Health behaviors were mostly self-reported; 45.0% of studies assessed diet, 58.6% physical activity, and 90.0% smoking status. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a substantial and heterogeneous body of research presenting CVH metrics in LMICs. Few studies assessed all components of CVH, especially in children and in low-income settings. This review will facilitate the design of future studies to bridge the evidence gap. This scoping review protocol was previously registered on OSF: https://osf.io/sajnh.

Experiences and influences of online health information-seeking about statin use in patients with high cardiovascular risk: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Online health information (OHI) has been shown to influence patients' health decisions and behaviours. OHI about statins has created confusion among healthcare professionals and the public. This study explored the views and experiences of patients with high cardiovascular risk on OHI-seeking about statins and how OHI influenced their decision. DESIGN: This was a qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews. An interpretive description approach with thematic analysis was used for data analysis. SETTING: An urban primary care clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 18 years and above who had high cardiovascular risk and sought OHI on statins were recruited. RESULTS: A total of 20 participants were interviewed. The age of the participants ranged from 38 to 74 years. Twelve (60%) participants took statins for primary cardiovascular disease prevention. The duration of statin use ranged from 2 weeks to 30 years. Six themes emerged from the data analysis: (i) seeking OHI throughout the disease trajectory, (ii) active and passive approaches to seeking OHI, (iii) types of OHI, (iv) views about statin-related OHI, (v) influence of OHI on patients' health decisions, and (vi) patient-doctor communication about OHI. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the changing information needs throughout patient journeys, suggesting the opportunity to provide needs-oriented OHI to patients. Unintentional passive exposure to OHI appears to have an influence on patients' adherence to statins. The quality of patient-doctor communication in relation to OHI-seeking behaviour remains a critical factor in patient decision-making.

Measurement accuracy and reliability of self-reported versus measured weight and height among adults in Malaysia: Findings from a nationwide blood pressure screening programme.

Most studies reporting prevalence of obesity use actual weight and height measurements. Self-reported weight and height have been used in epidemiological studies as they have been shown to be reliable, convenient, and inexpensive alternatives to actual measurements. However, the accuracy of self-reported weight and height might vary in different regions because of the difference in health awareness and social influences. This study aims to determine the accuracy and reliability of self-reported weight and height compared to actual measured weight and height among adults in Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the community level during blood pressure screening campaigns. Participants self-reported their weight and height in a questionnaire survey. Their weight and height were validated using measurements by researchers on the same setting. Body mass index (BMI) was defined as underweight (<18.5kg/m2), normal (18.5-22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23-27.4 kg/m2) and obesity (≥27.5 kg/m2). Bland-Altman analysis, intraclass correlation coefficients and weighted Kappa statistics were used to assess the degree of agreement between self-reported and measured weight and height. A total of 2781 participants were recruited in this study. The difference between the mean self-reported and measured weight and height were 0.4 kg and 0.4 cm respectively. Weighted Kappa statistics analysis showed that there was a substantial agreement between the BMI classifications derived from self-reported and actual measurement (Ò¡ = 0.920, p<0.001). There was no marked difference in the sensitivity and specificity of self-reported BMI among Malaysian adults by gender. We observed substantial agreement between self-reported and measured body weight and height within a sample of Malaysian adults. While self-reported body weight showed weaker agreement with actual measurements particularly for obese and overweight individuals, BMI values derived from self-reported weight and height were accurate for 88.53% of the participants. We thus conclude that self-reported height and weight measures may be useful for tracking and estimating population trends amongst Malaysian adults.

Health motivations and perceived barriers are determinants of self-care behaviour for the prevention of hypertension in a Malaysian community.

INTRODUCTION: Self-care behaviour is fundamental in preventing hypertension in the general population. According to the Health Belief Model, health beliefs and perceptions influence the success in adopting disease prevention strategies. While factors influencing hypertension self-care behaviour have been examined previously in patient populations, they have not been assessed in the general community. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between 12 June 2020 to 26 July 2021. An online survey was administered via email and social media to Malaysians in the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur communities. Respondents were over 18 years old, without a formal diagnosis of hypertension. The survey evaluated hypertension knowledge, Health Belief Model constructs, self-care behaviour frequency, and motivators and barriers to self-care behaviour. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the main predictors of self-care behaviour, and descriptive statistics were used to characterise motivators and barriers of each self-care behaviour. RESULTS: Only health motivations (ß = 0.217, p < 0.001) and perceived barriers (ß = 0.571, p < 0.001) significantly influenced self-care behaviour. Maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical activity and blood pressure checks need to be improved in the community, particularly in reducing salt and calorie intake. Lack of time, limited choices and laziness are the biggest challenges that need to be tackled in adopting a healthy diet and an active lifestyle in the community. Many are ignorant towards their health status, therefore, do not prioritize blood pressure screenings, suggesting a need to enhance community blood pressure checks for early diagnosis of hypertension. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Motivations and barriers were the main determinants of self-care behaviour in the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur community. Targeting these aspects of self-care behaviour should be considered when developing interventions and education programmes tailored to local cultural, environmental and personal factors, to more effectively reduce the hypertension prevalence and burden.

eHealth literacy of patients attending a primary care clinic in Malaysia and its associated factors: A cross-sectional study.

Background: People are overloaded with online health information (OHI) of variable quality. eHealth literacy is important for people to acquire and appraise reliable information to make health-related decisions. While eHealth literacy is widely studied in developed countries, few studies have been conducted among patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective: We aimed to determine the level of eHealth literacy in patients attending a primary care clinic in Malaysia and its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in an urban primary care clinic. We used a systematic random sampling method to select patients aged 18 years and above who attended the clinic. The eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) was used to measure eHealth literacy. Results: A total of 381 participants were included. The mean eHEALS was 24.4 ± 7.6. The eHEALS statements related to skills in appraising OHI were scored lower than statements related to looking for online resources. Higher education level of attending upper secondary school (AOR 2.53, 95% CI 1.05-6.11), tertiary education (AOR 4.05, 95% CI 1.60-10.25), higher monthly household income of >US$470 (AOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.07-3.56), and those who had sought OHI in the past month (AOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.13-3.36) were associated with a higher eHealth literacy level. Conclusions: This study found a low eHealth literacy level among primary care patients in Malaysia. While the patients were confident in searching for OHI, they lacked skills in appraising them. Our findings inform the interventions for improving eHealth literacy in LMICs, especially educating the public about OHI appraisal.

Knowledge transfer of eLearning objects: Lessons learned from an intercontinental capacity building project.

BACKGROUND: Effective knowledge transfer of eLearning objects can hasten the adoption and dissemination of technology in teaching and learning. However, challenges exist which hinder inter-organisational knowledge transfer, particularly across continents. The ACoRD project aimed to transfer knowledge on digital learning development from UK/EU (provider) to Malaysian (receiver) higher education institutions (HEIs). This study explores the challenges encountered during the knowledge transfer process and lessons learned. METHODS: This is a qualitative study involving both the knowledge providers and receivers in focus group discussions (n = 25). Four focus group discussions were conducted in the early (n = 2) and mid-phase (n = 2) of the project by trained qualitative researchers using a topic guide designed to explore experiences and activities representing knowledge transfer in multi-institutional and multi-cultural settings. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and checked. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Five main themes emerged from this qualitative study: mismatched expectations between providers and receivers; acquiring new knowledge beyond the professional "comfort zone"; challenges in cascading newly acquired knowledge to colleagues and management; individual and organisational cultural differences; and disruption of knowledge transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the need to create a conducive platform to facilitate continuous, timely and bi-directional needs assessment and feedback; this should be done in the early phase of the knowledge transfer process. The challenges and strategies identified in this study could guide more effective knowledge transfer between organisations and countries.

Association between online health information-seeking and medication adherence: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The evidence of the impact of online health information-seeking (OHIS) on health outcomes has been conflicting. OHIS is increasingly recognised as a factor influencing health behaviour but the impact of OHIS on medication adherence remains unclear. Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the associations between OHIS and medication adherence. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and Psychology and Behavioural Science Collection for studies published up to December 2020. The inclusion criteria were studies that reported the associations of OHIS and medication adherence, quantitative design, reported primary data only, related to any health condition where medications are used and conducted on patients either in clinical or community settings. A meta-analysis was used to examine the association between OHIS and medication adherence. Results: A total of 17 studies involving 24,890 patients were included in this review. The study designs and results were mixed. In the meta-analysis, there was no significant association (n = 7, OR 1.356, 95% CI 0.793-2.322, p = 0.265), or correlation (n = 4, r = -0.085, 95% CI -0.572-0.446, p = 0.768) between OHIS and medication adherence. In the sub-group analysis of people living with HIV/AIDS, OHIS was associated with better medication adherence (OR 1.612, 95% CI 1.266-2.054, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The current evidence of an association between OHIS and medication adherence is inconclusive. This review highlights methodological issues on how to measure OHIS objectively and calls for in-depth exploration of how OHIS affects health decisions and behaviour.

Prevalence and determinants of medications non-adherence among patients with uncontrolled hypertension in primary care setting in Sarawak, Malaysia: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Non-adherence to antihypertensive medications is a leading cause of uncontrolled hypertension and its complications. However, data on the factors associated with non-adherence to antihypertensive medications in the communities of Sarawak, Malaysia, are limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and determinants of medication non-adherence among patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the systematic sampling method in four government primary healthcare clinics in Sarawak. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data and evaluate non-adherence. Blood pressure was measured, and relevant clinical variables were collected from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the determinants of medication non-adherence. Results: A total of 488 patients with uncontrolled hypertension were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of medication non-adherence was 39.3%. There were four predictors of medication non-adherence among the patients with uncontrolled hypertension: tertiary educational level (odds ratio [OR]=4.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.67-10.61, P=0.010), complementary alternative medication (0R=2.03, 95% CI=1.12-3.69, P=0.020), non-usage of calcium channel blockers (0R=1.57, 95% CI=1.02-2.41, P=0.039) and 1 mmHg increase in the systolic blood pressure (0R=1.03, 95% CI=1.00-1.05, P=0.006). Conclusion: Because of the high prevalence of medication non-adherence among patients with uncontrolled hypertension, primary care physicians should be more vigilant in identifying those at risk of being non-adherent. Early intervention should be conducted to address non-adherence for blood pressure control.

Factors influencing healthcare seeking in patients with dengue: Systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Delays in seeking healthcare for dengue are associated with poor health outcomes. Despite this, the factors influencing such delays remain unclear, rendering interventions to improve healthcare seeking for dengue ineffective. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the factors influencing healthcare seeking of patients with dengue and form a comprehensive framework. METHODS: This review included both qualitative and quantitative studies. Studies were obtained by searching five databases, contacting field experts and performing backward reference searches. The best-fit meta-synthesis approach was used during data synthesis, where extracted data were fitted into the social-ecological model. Sub-analyses were conducted to identify the commonly reported factors and their level of statistical significance. RESULTS: Twenty studies were selected for meta-synthesis. Eighteen factors influencing healthcare seeking in dengue were identified and categorised under four domains: individual (11 factors), interpersonal (one factor), organisational (four factors) and community (two factors). The most reported factors were knowledge of dengue, access to healthcare, quality of health service and resource availability. Overall, more barriers to dengue health seeking than facilitators were found. History of dengue infection and having knowledge of dengue were found to be ambiguous as they both facilitated and hindered dengue healthcare seeking. Contrary to common belief, women were less likely to seek help for dengue than men. CONCLUSIONS: The factors affecting dengue healthcare-seeking behaviour are diverse, can be ambiguous and are found across multiple social-ecological levels. Understanding these complexities is essential for the development of effective interventions to improve dengue healthcare-seeking behaviour.

Online health information-seeking behaviour of patients attending a primary care clinic in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The internet has become a common source of health information; however, little is known about online health information-seeking behaviour (HISB) among patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of online health information-seeking and its associated factors among patients in primary care in Malaysia. We also examined the reasons for, and the sources of, online health information-seeking, patients' level of trust in the information found and what the information was used for. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted on patients who attended a primary care clinic. The questionnaire included the use of the internet to seek health information, sources and types of health information, eHealth literacy, patients' trust in online information, and how patients appraise and use online health information. RESULTS: Out of 381 patients in this study, 54.7% (n = 208) used the internet to search for health information. Patients mainly sought information via Google (96.2%) and the most common websites that they visited were Wikipedia (45.2%) and MyHEALTH (37.5%). Higher levels of education, longer duration of internet use, and higher eHealth literacy were significantly associated with online HISB. Patients' trust in websites (45.6%) and social media (20.7%) was low when compared to trust in healthcare professionals (87.9%). Only 12.9% (n = 22) of patients had discussed online health information with their doctors. CONCLUSION: Online HISB was common among primary care patients; however, their eHealth literacy was low, with suboptimal appraisal skills to evaluate the accuracy of online health information.

Utility and usability of an automated COVID-19 symptom monitoring system (CoSMoS) in primary care during COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 telemonitoring applications have been developed and used in primary care to monitor patients quarantined at home. There is a lack of evidence on the utility and usability of telemonitoring applications from end-users' perspective. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a COVID-19 symptom monitoring system (CoSMoS) by exploring its utility and usability with end-users. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using in-depth interviews. Patients with suspected COVID-19 infection who used CoSMoS Telegram bot to monitor their COVID-19 symptoms and doctors who conducted the telemonitoring via CoSMoS dashboard were recruited. Universal sampling was used in this study. We stopped the recruitment when data saturation was reached. Patients and doctors shared their experiences using CoSMoS, its utility and usability for COVID-19 symptoms monitoring. Data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients and 4 doctors were recruited into this study. For utility, CoSMoS was useful in providing close monitoring and continuity of care, supporting patients' decision making, ensuring adherence to reporting, and reducing healthcare workers' burden during the pandemic. In terms of usability, patients expressed that CoSMoS was convenient and easy to use. The use of the existing social media application for symptom monitoring was acceptable for the patients. The content in the Telegram bot was easy to understand, although revision was needed to keep the content updated. Doctors preferred to integrate CoSMoS into the electronic medical record. CONCLUSION: CoSMoS is feasible and useful to patients and doctors in providing remote monitoring and teleconsultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The utility and usability evaluation enables the refinement of CoSMoS to be a patient-centred monitoring system.

Prioritising topics for developing e-learning resources in healthcare curricula: A comparison between students and educators using a modified Delphi survey.

BACKGROUND: Engaging students in the e-learning development process enhances the effective implementation of e-learning, however, students' priority on the topics for e-learning may differ from that of the educators. This study aims to compare the differences between the students and their educators in prioritising the topics in three healthcare curricula for reusable e-learning object (RLO) development. METHOD: A modified Delphi study was conducted among students and educators from University Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Taylor's University (TU) on three undergraduate programmes. In Round 1, participants were asked to select the topics from the respective syllabi to be developed into RLOs. Priority ranking was determined by using frequencies and proportions. The first quartile of the prioritised topics was included in Round 2 survey, which the participants were asked to rate the level of priority of each topic using a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score of the topics was compared between students and educators. RESULT: A total of 43 educators and 377 students participated in this study. For UM and TU Pharmacy, there was a mismatch in the prioritised topics between the students and educators. For UPM, both the educators and students have prioritised the same topics in both rounds. To harmonise the prioritisation of topics between students and educators for UM and TU Pharmacy, the topics with a higher mean score by both the students and educators were prioritised. CONCLUSION: The mismatch in prioritised topics between students and educators uncovered factors that might influence the prioritisation process. This study highlighted the importance of conducting needs assessment at the beginning of eLearning resources development.

Relationship of an adherence score with blood pressure control status among patients with hypertension and their determinants: Findings from a nationwide blood pressure screening program.

This study aimed to examine the relationship of adherence with blood pressure (BP) control and its associated factors in hypertensive patients. This cross-sectional nationwide BP screening study was conducted in Malaysia from May to October 2018. Participants with self-declared hypertension completed the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale (Hill-Bone CHBPTS) which assesses three important domains of patient behavior to hypertension management namely medication taking, appointment keeping and reduced salt intake. Lower scores indicate better compliance while higher scores indicate otherwise. Participant's body mass index and seated BP were measured based on standard measurement protocol. Determinants of adherence to treatment were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Out of 5167 screened subjects, 1705 were known hypertensives. Of these, 927 (54.4%) answered the Hill-Bone CHBPTS and were entered into analysis. The mean age was 59.0 ± 13.2 years, 55.6% were female and 42.2% were Malays. The mean Hill-Bone CHBPTS score was 20.4 ± 4.4 (range 14-47), and 52.1% had good adherence. The mean systolic BP and diastolic BP were 136.4 ± 17.9 and 80.6 ± 11.6 mmHg, respectively. BP was controlled in 58.3% of those with good adherence compared to 50.2% in those with poor adherence (p = .014). Based on multiple linear regression analysis, female gender (ß = -0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.30, -0.15, p = .014), older age (ß = -0.05, 95% CI -0.07, -0.03, p < .001), and individuals with primary or lower educational level (ß = -0.91, 95% CI -1.59, -0.23, p = .009) had better adherence to BP management. Interventional programs targeted at the less adherent groups are needed in order to improve their adherence and BP control.

Exosomal microRNAs in the development of essential hypertension and its potential as biomarkers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory molecules that are involved in posttranscriptional modifications. These noncoding RNAs are usually ferried by extracellular carriers such as exosomes or other protein and lipid carriers inside a range of body fluids including plasma and urine. Due to their ability to withstand harsh external conditions, exosomal miRNAs possess enormous potential as noninvasive disease biomarkers for, notably hypertension, whereby exosomal miRNAs have been implicated in its pathophysiological processes. More importantly, alterations in the microenvironment as a result of disease progression can induce active and selective loading of miRNAs into exosomes. In this paper, we first review the mechanisms of miRNA loading into exosomes, followed by the roles of exosomal miRNAs in the development of hypertension, and the potentials of exosomal miRNAs as biomarkers in comparison with other free circulating miRNAs. Finally, challenges and future research surrounding exosomal miRNAs will also be discussed. This review will aid in the understanding of noninvasive biomarkers for the early diagnosis of hypertension and for probing therapeutic efficacy.

An Automated Patient Self-Monitoring System to Reduce Health Care System Burden During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia: Development and Implementation Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to develop an automated COVID-19 symptom monitoring system to reduce the burden on the health care system and to provide better self-monitoring at home. OBJECTIVE: This paper aimed to describe the development process of the COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring System (CoSMoS), which consists of a self-monitoring, algorithm-based Telegram bot and a teleconsultation system. We describe all the essential steps from the clinical perspective and our technical approach in designing, developing, and integrating the system into clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as lessons learned from this development process. METHODS: CoSMoS was developed in three phases: (1) requirement formation to identify clinical problems and to draft the clinical algorithm, (2) development testing iteration using the agile software development method, and (3) integration into clinical practice to design an effective clinical workflow using repeated simulations and role-playing. RESULTS: We completed the development of CoSMoS in 19 days. In Phase 1 (ie, requirement formation), we identified three main functions: a daily automated reminder system for patients to self-check their symptoms, a safe patient risk assessment to guide patients in clinical decision making, and an active telemonitoring system with real-time phone consultations. The system architecture of CoSMoS involved five components: Telegram instant messaging, a clinician dashboard, system administration (ie, back end), a database, and development and operations infrastructure. The integration of CoSMoS into clinical practice involved the consideration of COVID-19 infectivity and patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that developing a COVID-19 symptom monitoring system within a short time during a pandemic is feasible using the agile development method. Time factors and communication between the technical and clinical teams were the main challenges in the development process. The development process and lessons learned from this study can guide the future development of digital monitoring systems during the next pandemic, especially in developing countries.

mHealth adoption among primary care physicians in Malaysia and its associated factors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: mHealth apps potentially improve health care delivery and patient outcomes, but the uptake of mHealth in primary care is challenging, especially in low-middle-income countries. OBJECTIVE: To measure factors associated with mHealth adoption among primary care physicians (PCPs) in Malaysia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among PCPs. The usage of mHealth apps by the PCPs has divided into the use of mHealth apps to support PCPs' clinical work and recommendation of mHealth apps for patient's use. Factors associated with mHealth adoption were analysed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 217 PCPs in the study, 77.0% used mHealth apps frequently for medical references, 78.3% medical calculation and 30.9% interacting with electronic health records (EHRs). Only 22.1% of PCPs frequently recommended mHealth apps to patients for tracking health information, 22.1% patient education and 14.3% use as a medical device. Performance expectancy and facilitating conditions were associated with mHealth use for medical references. Family medicine trainees, working in a government practice and performance expectancy were the facilitators for the use of mHealth apps for medical calculation. Internet connectivity, performance expectancy and use by colleagues were associated with the use of mHealth with EHR. Performance expectancy was associated with mHealth apps' recommendation to patients to track health information and provide patient education. CONCLUSIONS: PCPs often used mHealth apps to support their clinical work but seldom recommended mHealth apps to their patients. Training for PCPs is needed on the appraisal and knowledge of the mHealth apps for patient use.