A randomized controlled trial on impacts of individualized, evidence-based counseling on medication use in insured hypertensive patients in China

BACKGROUND: In average hypertensive patients in China, approximately 3–4 major cardiovascular disease (CVD) events can be prevented in 100 treated with anti‐hypertensive drugs for 5 years. Previous cross‐sectional studies in healthy individuals showed that their willingness to pay out of pocket for anti‐hypertensive drugs dropped substantively after they were informed of the quantitative benefits, harms and costs of the treatment. These findings suggest, importantly, that patients should be provided with evidence and engaged in decision making for such conditions as hypertension in order to make decisions that will satisfy patients. This large effect of evidence‐informed decision making found in the cross‐sectional study has, however, not been confirmed in more rigorous studies and in diagnosed hypertensive patients in the country. We therefore conducted this randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of individualized, evidence‐based counseling on medicine‐using behaviors of hypertensive patients.