EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN HYPERTENSION PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: It is acknowledged that treating chronic illnesses with patient education can be advantageous. For hypertension patients seen at Primary Care Centers (PCC) and specialized Hypertension Units (SHU), we implemented an educational intervention (EI).

Aim: To test patient's awareness about hypertension and to verify the impact of this educational program.

Method: 120 hypertensive individuals participated in a multicenter quasi-experimental study. The oral and written information contained in EI covered the definition, etiology, cardiovascular risk factors, and methods of controlling hypertension. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to assess patient's knowledge before and after EI.

Results: Fifty-two patients (mean age: 61 ± 13.3 years, 59% female) were from PCC, while 58 patients (48%) were from SHU. There were no variations in baseline characteristics between patients attending at PCC and SHU. Of the participants, 48% were aware of the concept of hypertension, which is defined as blood pressure of 140 mmHg or more, and 99% were aware of it following electrocardiography (p < 0.001). There was a correlation between low initial awareness of the hazards of hypertension and kidneys (54%) and eyes (58%). This knowledge rose to 100% following EI (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). There was a notable increase in medicine knowledge (51% prior to and 87% following EI; p = 0.004).

Conclusion: This study demonstrates how EI might help patients learn more about hypertension. More research is need to see whether EI alters behavior over the long run, though, as this could improve optimal blood pressure regulation and halt the progression of renal disease.