Knowledge and practice outcomes after home blood pressure measurement education programs

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the outcomes of three home blood pressure measurement (HBPM) education programs on adult knowledge and practice. METHODS: We chose a pretest/post-test design and randomly divided 95 adults into three groups: individual training (group A), group training (group B), and self-learning (group C), for education regarding HBPM in accordance with the Canadian Hypertension Education Program. Participants involved in groups A and B received interactive education led by a nurse. Participants in group C learned by themselves using an instruction booklet and a HBPM device lent to them for 7 days. Knowledge was assessed pretest and post-test by questionnaire. Skills were evaluated postintervention by direct observation. RESULTS: Analysis of the 60 participants indicated significant knowledge improvement. Pretest scores of 38 (group A), 54 (group B), and 45% (group C) rose significantly to 97, 99, and 90%, respectively (pretest vs. post-test; P<0.0001). Individual and group training sessions were significantly more effective compared with the self-learning program, which was confirmed by differences between groups in post-test practice. Assessment scores: 74 (group A), 79 (group B), and 53% (group C; group A vs. group C; P=0.001, group B vs. group C; P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that adults attending an individual or group training program for HBPM retained its theoretical and practical principles better than those engaged in self-learning. Their success may be attributed to interaction with the nurse.