HypertensionTEACHNCT06524180
Can TElemedicine System Replace Doctor Consultations to Achieve Non-inferior Blood Pressure in Patients With Controlled Hypertension
A study testing Telemedicine in people with Hypertension, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether patients assigned to the telemedicine (HealthCap) group demonstrate non-inferior blood pressure (BP) control compared to patients in the usual care group at 12 months. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Hypertension
- What is being tested?
- Telemedicine
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 364 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2024to 30 Sep 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- (i) having a diagnosis of essential HT;
- (ii) on anti-HT medications;
- (iii) well-controlled HT on out-of-office BP measurements, including HBPM or ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) (measurement algorithm and details under methods). ABPM or HBPM are preferred to office BP due to their superior reproducibility and predictivity to cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, office BP misclassifies 30-40% of patients as having suboptimal BP control due to white-coat effect. From our pilot study, some patients with optimal BP are reluctant to undergo ABPM before recruitment into the RCT, and HBPM is more acceptable to these patients and is therefore included. According to local and international guidelines, optimal out-of-office daytime BP should be \<135/85 mmHg for patients without comorbidities and \<130/85 mmHg for patients with comorbidities that increase cardiovascular risk (i.e. stroke, ischaemic heart diseases, heart failure, diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic kidney diseases) respectively;
- (iv) can read basic Chinese (language used in the HealthCap);
- (v) have used any mobile app (not HT-related) in the previous 1 year; and
- (vii) aged between 18-80.
Who cannot join
- (i) cannot provide informed consent;
- (ii) unwillingness to conduct HBPM or repeated ABPM;
- (iii) relative contraindications to ABPM (i.e., diagnosed atrial fibrillation, nighttime workers, occupational drivers, or patients with bleeding tendencies);
- (iv) have severe mental illnesses that impair their ability to use HealthCap, including those diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, or as being actively suicidal;
- (v) a diagnosis of other acute or chronic diseases that need regular physical assessments and/or medication changes (e.g., suboptimally controlled DM [e.g., glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c)≥7%], depression requiring medications, active cancer); and (vi) predicted lifespan of \<1 year.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
HKW and NTEC GOPC
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Eric Kam-Pui Lee, MSc, 22528462, lkp032@cuhk.edu.hk
About this study
Official title: Can TElemedicine System Replace Doctor Consultations to Achieve Non-inferior Blood Pressure in Patients With Controlled Hypertension (TEACH)? a Randomised Controlled Trial and Cost-minimization Analysis
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether patients assigned to the telemedicine (HealthCap) group demonstrate non-inferior blood pressure (BP) control compared to patients in the usual care group at 12 months. The main question it aims to answer is:
- Do participants in telemedicine group have non-inferior daytime ambulatory blood pressure readings at 12-month, compared to usual care group?
- Do participants in telemedicine group have better HT treatment, higher self-efficacy, reduced number of visits to primary care clinics and similar health care utilisation other than GOPCs, compared to usual care group?
Read more
Participant in telemedicine group will:
- Receive reminders to measure 7-day home blood pressure before their index consultation.
- Get their drug refilled automatically as well as have consultations deferred 16-18 weeks later, if their blood pressure is under optimal control.
- Have consultations as scheduled, if their BP is suboptimal or any of the safety questions screen positive.
Participants in control group will:
- Have consultation with physicians every 16-18 weeks.
- Conditions
- Hypertension
- Being tested
- Telemedicine, Usual care
- Keywords
- blood pressure, telemedicine, home blood pressure measurement
- Medical subject headings
- Hypertension
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
TelemedicineDevice
a mobile app and telemedicine platform to confirm good blood pressure control and may save doctor face-to-face consultation
Usual careOther
Participants will be followed up as usual by face-to-face consultation with the doctors
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Telemedicine | Experimental | Patients will be (i) given a validated HBPM device (ORMON HEM-7120) with appropriate cuff size, (ii) taught the HBPM technique, and (iii) taught to record HBPM readings using the HealthCap mobile app on their smartphones.
Participants randomized to intervention will be reminded to take dual BP readings in the morning and evening for 1-2 weeks before the index consultation. These BP readings will be automatically sent to a computer at the clinic. When the HBPM mean is optimal (i.e., <135/85 mmHg or <130/80 mmHg [for patients with cardiovascular diseases, renal diseases, and DM]), other parameters will be checked using an online questionnaire. If no complaints are identified, the patient will have automatic drug refill and the physician appointment will be deferred for 16-18 weeks. Receives: Device: Telemedicine |
| Usual care | Active comparator | Participants will continue receiving routine care, including anti-HT drug prescriptions, from their regular clinicians. In HK, patients with well-controlled HT are routinely seen every 16-18 weeks. Participants will also be given the same HBPM devices and taught the techniques. This is necessary because HBPM is a secondary outcome. According to the HK guidelines, all patients with HT are advised to regularly monitor their home BP, which can be considered as usual care.14 However, the patients will not be taught any BP measurement algorithm (such as that used in the telemedicine group). They will also be asked not to download or use any new HT mobile apps during the study period. In HK, all citizens have unlimited access to GOPCs and emergency departments for health problems. All participants are advised to seek medical help if BP becomes dangerously and persistently high (i.e. SBP ≥180 or DBP ≥110mmHg) or in case of any suspected medical emergencies. Receives: Other: Usual care |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
daytime systolic blood pressure
WatchBP O3 (Microlife AG, Switerzland) has been validated by multiple HT societies (www.stridebp.org) and will be used in the current RCT. BP will be measured every 30 min for ≥24 h, and patients' sleep diary will define the sleep duration. The readings will be considered valid if there are >70% of valid readings overall, >20 valid awake, and >7 valid asleep BP readings in 24-h intervals.
Measured: from the enrollment at 12-months
Secondary outcomes (24)
Ambulatory blood pressure readings
This will include ABPM parameters (24-h/daytime/nighttime SBP and DBP)
Measured: from enrollment at 6-month
Ambulatory blood pressure readings
ABPM parameters other than daytime SBP at 12-month (24-h/nighttime SBP/DBP and daytime DBP)
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Treatment adherence
This will be measured by the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire for patients with HT, which is validated in Chinese, and contains measurements of adherence to medications, diet, stimulation, weight control, exercise, and stress reduction.
Measured: from enrollment at 6-month and 12-month
Self-efficacy
This will be measured using the validated 5-item self-efficacy scale specific to HT, which was found to have good internal validity (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81) with a mean score of at least 9 (out of 10), signifying good self-efficacy.
Measured: from enrollment at 6 month and 12 month
Satisfaction with HealthCap
all participants in the intervention group will be asked to rank their satisfaction with HealthCap and with the automatic drug refill process on a scale from 0 (completely dissatisfied) to 10 (completely satisfied) at 12-m
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Acceptability
to assess the acceptability of the HealthCap system, around 30 patients with high (highest quartile score) and low (lowest quartile score) satisfaction will be invited to patients' interview till data saturation. Similarly, participating physicians (likely total number <30) will be interviewed, till data saturation if possible.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Health-related quality of life
Their health-related quality of life will be assessed by the validated EQ5D-5L (needed for cost-effectiveness analysis if HealthCap is found superior than usual care).
Measured: from enrollment at 6-month and 12-month
serum creatinine
Serum creatinine will be collected to check kidney function
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Body weight
Body weight weight in kilograms will be collected to calculate body mass index. Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2.
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Height
Height in meters will be collected to calculate body mass index. Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2.
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Total cholesterol level
Total cholesterol level will be collected to check lipid levels
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Total triglyceride level
Total triglyceride level will be collected to check lipid levels.
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Low-density lipoprotein level
Low-density lipoprotein level will be collected to check lipid levels
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
High-density lipoprotein level
High-density lipoprotein level will be collected to check lipid levels.
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Hemoglobin A1C level
Hemoglobin A1C level will be collected to check blood glucose.
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Fasting glucose level
Fasting glucose level will be collected to check blood glucose.
Measured: from enrollment at 12 month
Visit to general outpatient clinics (GOPC)
Visits to GOPC will be retrieved from the computerised clinical management system (CMS). This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Visit to emergency department
Visit to emergency department will be retrieved from the computerised clinical management system (CMS). This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Hospitalization
Hospitalization will be retrieved from the computerised clinical management system (CMS). This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Visits to private hospitals
Visits to private hospitals will be self-reported. This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Visits to private clinics
Visits to private clinics will be self-reported. This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Number of antihypertensive drug use
Number of antihypertensive drug use will be retrieved from the computerised clinical management system. This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Type of antihypertensive drug use
Type of antihypertensive drug use will be retrieved from the computerised clinical management system. This is to measure healthcare utilization.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Patients' productivity loss
Patients' productivity loss (e.g. loss of work days due to doctors' visits) will be self-reported.
Measured: from enrollment at 12-month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jul 2024
- Study start1 Oct 2024
- Primary completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for HypertensionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Chinese University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 364 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lee Kam Pui, Chinese University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06524180
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023.525
- Acronym
- TEACH
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 16 Jul 2024
- Last updated
- 10 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: May be available after discussion with other researchers
Publications
Ng SN, Yip BH, Wang S, Leung M, Choi SYK, Leung SY, Han JJ, Tsui WW, Lai SY, Chan L, Mihailidou AS, McManus RJ, Sy J, Lee EK. Can TElemedicine system replace doctor consultations to Achieve non-inferior blood pressure in patients with Controlled Hypertension (TEACH)? Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2025 Dec 8;27(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-09350-3.
PubMed 41361824
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Can TElemedicine System Replace Doctor Consultations to Achieve Non-inferior Blood Pressure in Patients With Controlled Hypertension (TEACH)? a Randomised Controlled Trial and Cost-minimization Analysis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06524180
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TEACH / 2023.525
- Conditions
- Hypertension
- Keywords
- blood pressure, telemedicine, home blood pressure measurement
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 364 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether patients assigned to the telemedicine (HealthCap) group demonstrate non-inferior blood pressure (BP) control compared to patients in the usual care group at 12 months. The main question it aims to answer is:
- Do participants in telemedicine group have non-inferior daytime ambulatory blood pressure readings at 12-month, compared to usual care group?
- Do participants in telemedicine group have better HT treatment, higher self-efficacy, reduced number of visits to primary care clinics and similar health care utilisation other than GOPCs, compared to usual care group?
Participant in telemedicine group will:
- Receive reminders to measure 7-day home blood pressure before their index consultation.
- Get their drug refilled automatically as well as have consultations deferred 16-18 weeks later, if their blood pressure is under optimal control.
- Have consultations as scheduled, if their BP is suboptimal or any of the safety questions screen positive.
Participants in control group will:
- Have consultation with physicians every 16-18 weeks.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Telemedicine | Experimental | Device: TelemedicinePatients will be (i) given a validated HBPM device (ORMON HEM-7120) with appropriate cuff size, (ii) taught the HBPM technique, and (iii) taught to record HBPM readings using the HealthCap mobile app on their smartphones. Participants randomized to intervention will be reminded to take dual BP readings in the morning and evening for 1-2 weeks before the index consultation. These BP readings will be automatically sent to a computer at the clinic. When the HBPM mean is optimal (i.e., <135/85 mmHg or <130/80 mmHg [for patients with cardiovascular diseases, renal diseases, and DM]), other parameters will be checked using an online questionnaire. If no complaints are identified, the patient will have automatic drug refill and the physician appointment will be deferred for 16-18 weeks. |
| Usual care | Active comparator | Other: Usual careParticipants will continue receiving routine care, including anti-HT drug prescriptions, from their regular clinicians. In HK, patients with well-controlled HT are routinely seen every 16-18 weeks. Participants will also be given the same HBPM devices and taught the techniques. This is necessary because HBPM is a secondary outcome. According to the HK guidelines, all patients with HT are advised to regularly monitor their home BP, which can be considered as usual care.14 However, the patients will not be taught any BP measurement algorithm (such as that used in the telemedicine group). They will also be asked not to download or use any new HT mobile apps during the study period. In HK, all citizens have unlimited access to GOPCs and emergency departments for health problems. All participants are advised to seek medical help if BP becomes dangerously and persistently high (i.e. SBP ≥180 or DBP ≥110mmHg) or in case of any suspected medical emergencies. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- (i) having a diagnosis of essential HT;
- (ii) on anti-HT medications;
- (iii) well-controlled HT on out-of-office BP measurements, including HBPM or ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) (measurement algorithm and details under methods). ABPM or HBPM are preferred to office BP due to their superior reproducibility and predictivity to cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, office BP misclassifies 30-40% of patients as having suboptimal BP control due to white-coat effect. From our pilot study, some patients with optimal BP are reluctant to undergo ABPM before recruitment into the RCT, and HBPM is more acceptable to these patients and is therefore included. According to local and international guidelines, optimal out-of-office daytime BP should be \<135/85 mmHg for patients without comorbidities and \<130/85 mmHg for patients with comorbidities that increase cardiovascular risk (i.e. stroke, ischaemic heart diseases, heart failure, diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic kidney diseases) respectively;
- (iv) can read basic Chinese (language used in the HealthCap);
- (v) have used any mobile app (not HT-related) in the previous 1 year; and
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- (i) cannot provide informed consent;
- (ii) unwillingness to conduct HBPM or repeated ABPM;
- (iii) relative contraindications to ABPM (i.e., diagnosed atrial fibrillation, nighttime workers, occupational drivers, or patients with bleeding tendencies);
- (iv) have severe mental illnesses that impair their ability to use HealthCap, including those diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, or as being actively suicidal;
- (v) a diagnosis of other acute or chronic diseases that need regular physical assessments and/or medication changes (e.g., suboptimally controlled DM [e.g., glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c)≥7%], depression requiring medications, active cancer); and (vi) predicted lifespan of \<1 year.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Telemedicinea mobile app and telemedicine platform to confirm good blood pressure control and may save doctor face-to-face consultation | Device | Telemedicine |
| Usual careParticipants will be followed up as usual by face-to-face consultation with the doctors | Other | Usual care |
Primary outcome
daytime systolic blood pressure
Time frame: from the enrollment at 12-months
WatchBP O3 (Microlife AG, Switerzland) has been validated by multiple HT societies (www.stridebp.org) and will be used in the current RCT. BP will be measured every 30 min for ≥24 h, and patients' sleep diary will define the sleep duration. The readings will be considered valid if there are >70% of valid readings overall, >20 valid awake, and >7 valid asleep BP readings in 24-h intervals.
24 secondary outcomes
Ambulatory blood pressure readings
Time frame: from enrollment at 6-month
Ambulatory blood pressure readings
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Treatment adherence
Time frame: from enrollment at 6-month and 12-month
Self-efficacy
Time frame: from enrollment at 6 month and 12 month
Satisfaction with HealthCap
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Acceptability
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Health-related quality of life
Time frame: from enrollment at 6-month and 12-month
serum creatinine
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Body weight
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Height
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Total cholesterol level
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Total triglyceride level
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Low-density lipoprotein level
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
High-density lipoprotein level
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Hemoglobin A1C level
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Fasting glucose level
Time frame: from enrollment at 12 month
Visit to general outpatient clinics (GOPC)
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Visit to emergency department
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Hospitalization
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Visits to private hospitals
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Visits to private clinics
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Number of antihypertensive drug use
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Type of antihypertensive drug use
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Patients' productivity loss
Time frame: from enrollment at 12-month
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Dec 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41361824Ng SN, Yip BH, Wang S, Leung M, Choi SYK, Leung SY, Han JJ, Tsui WW, Lai SY, Chan L, Mihailidou AS, McManus RJ, Sy J, Lee EK. Can TElemedicine system replace doctor consultations to Achieve non-inferior blood pressure in patients with Controlled Hypertension (TEACH)? Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2025 Dec 8;27(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-09350-3.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. May be available after discussion with other researchers
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Telemedicine in people with Hypertension, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Kam Pui Lee (+85222528462, lkp032@cuhk.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
daytime systolic blood pressure (time frame: from the enrollment at 12-months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06524180, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Dec 2025.