Prof. Mark Tettey
The University of Ghana has partnered with Tufts University, United States of America, on a study to use mobile phones to test theory in a clinical trial focused on hypertension management in Ghanaian patients.
Prof. Mark Tettey, Head, Department of Surgery, University of Ghana Medical School and Co-Principal Investigator of the project stated that patients who participated in the study will benefit immensely from it since regular visits to the hospital was going to be reduced especially during this pandemic.
Prof. Tettey said, “Patients will be able to take their own blood pressure regularly and communicate with the caregiver without physical contact. This will enhance blood pressure control within the acceptable levels, and in the end, there will be a reduction in complications and death from uncontrolled hypertension.”
Prof. Valencia Koomson, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering, explained that an advantage of the rapid expansion in the telecommunications structure is access to improved health care particularly in low and middle-income countries.
“Ghana is faced with the growing need to expand resource-constrained health systems beyond traditional services focused on communicable diseases to now include non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension,” said Prof. Koomson.
The $1.2 million grant project funded by the United States National Institutes of Health will be undertaken in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Ho Teaching Hospital.
The five-year project has two phases; the goal of the first phase is to adapt the app based on feedback from local patients and practitioners. Phase two aims to conduct a year-long study to assess changes in blood pressure among patients.
