Benefits of the implementation of structured educational program in hypertension management.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of patients' education on treatment compliance and blood pressure (BP) control, as well as lifestyle in hypertension.
Material and Methods: Education with the structured program was performed in 89 patients with essential hypertension. The patients knowledge level was determined using a special questionnaire with 26 questions. The regularity of BP self-control and drug treatment were assessed before and after the educational course as well as after 6-months of follow-up.
Results: The knowledge level increased after education from 58 +/- 12% up to 92 +/- 11% (p < 0.05), the proportion of patients on regular medication from 34.4% to 74.2% (p < 0.05). Sixty (67.4%) of patients started to perform regular BP self-control. The improvement of knowledge level and treatment compliance was not accompanied by significant changes in lifestyle such as smoking cessation and body weight loss.
Conclusions: The structured patients' education resulted in the increase of patients' knowledge, improvement of drug compliance and self-monitoring of BP. Modification of lifestyle appears to be more problematic point as it did not show any significant improvement.