Usefulness of a systemic hypertension in-hospital educational program.
The effects of an educational program on compliance and blood pressure (BP) control were assessed in 47 hypertensive patients hospitalized for nonhypertension-related diseases. Patients were randomized to receive either a questionnaire and an educational program (group I, 25) or questionnaire only (group II, 22). Baseline clinical characteristics, admission diagnoses and antihypertensive medications were similar between the groups. Antihypertensive medications used by patients before the trial were not changed. Eight weeks after the initial intervention, patients in group I showed a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic BP (137/89 vs 154/98 mm Hg, p = 0.005 and 0.006, respectively) and improved compliance (96 vs 36%, p = 0.04), compared with patients in group II. An education program in patients with high BP is an effective method to improve compliance and BP control in the short-term.
Department of Internal Medicine, San Juan City Hospital, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico 00928.
R A
RA
González-Fernández
M
M
Rivera
D
D
Torres
J
J
Quiles
A
A
Jackson
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents