A randomized controlled trial results reported that multidisciplinary information technology–supported program providing feedback to patients and healthcare providers may significantly improve blood pressure levels in primary care. "Hypertension is a leading mortality risk factor yet inadequately controlled in most affected subjects," write Stéphane Rinfret, MD, MSc, from the University of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and colleagues from the LOYAL (Lowering blood pressure by improving cOmpliance with hYpertension therapy through the Assistance of technoLogy) study investigators. "Effective programs to address this problem are lacking. We hypothesized that an information technology-supported management program could help improve blood pressure (BP) control." 223 subjects with hypertension were involved in the study under primary care observation. At baseline, mean 24-hour blood pressure level measured with ambulatory monitoring was greater than 130/80 mm Hg, and daytime blood pressure level was greater than 135/85 mm Hg. Participants randomly assigned to the intervention were given a blood pressure monitor and access to an information technology–supported adherence and blood pressure monitoring system providing monthly reports to nurses, pharmacists, and physicians, whereas control subjects received usual care. Mean duration of follow-up was 348 ± 78 days in the intervention group and 349 ± 84 days in the control group. Compared with the control group, the intervention group had a consistently greater primary endpoint of the change in the mean 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure both for systolic (–11.9 vs –7.1 mm Hg; P < .001) and diastolic blood pressure (–6.6 vs –4.5 mm Hg; P = .007). The intervention group also had a greater proportion of participants that achieved Canadian Guideline target blood pressure (46.0% vs 28.6%; P = .006). Reductions in blood pressure values were similar for ambulatory monitoring and self-recorded home blood pressure, suggesting that the self-recorded home blood pressure could help confirm blood pressure control. Compared with the control group, the intervention group had more physician-driven antihypertensive dose adjustments and/or changes in agents (P = .03), more antihypertensive classes at study end (P = .007), and a nonsignificant trend towards improved adherence measured by prescription refills (P = .07). Limitations of this study include lower sample size than planned, insufficient power to show any significant impact of the program on drug adherence, inability to determine the extent to which blood pressure improvements could be sustained beyond the duration of the study, and inability to exclude the possibility that some significant effects of the intervention on secondary endpoints occurred by chance. "This multidisciplinary information technology supported program that provided feedback to patients and healthcare providers significantly improved blood pressure levels in a primary care setting," the study authors write. "These results were achieved through regular automated patient contact, nursing support as needed and monthly feedback to physicians and pharmacists, which led to more medication dosage adjustments, changes or additions, a larger number of antihypertensive classes at study end and a trend towards improved adherence. Our results clearly support the need for further investigation on innovative approaches that can improve the management of hypertension and other chronic diseases."