Vol 17, No 4 (2013)
Original paper
Published online: 2013-12-03
The effect of education on the improvement of therapeutic efficacy in patients with arterial hypertension taking fixed combination of antihypertensive agents
Nadciśnienie tętnicze 2013;17(4):314-321.
Abstract
Background The aim of study was to evaluate in daily clinical practice the effect of education on the improvement of therapeutic efficacy in patients with arterial hypertension taking fixed combination of antihypertensive agents.
Material and methods During 15 months, 354 medical practitioners from all over the country, including cardiologists, internists, hypertensiologists and general practitioners,
included to the study 4218 patients with arterial
hypertension who started treatment with fixed combination of antihypertensive agents. Observation and education were performed on two visits followed at 3-month intervals, in which the questionnaires evaluating blood pressure control, behavioral factors and patients’ knowledge on the disease were self-reported. The compliance was assessed by the Morisky-Green test. During the office visits, patients received educational materials.
Results On the first visit, majority of patients had a poor knowledge on arterial hypertension, did not comply with non-pharmacological treatments and did not take their antihypertensive medications systematically. In 95.5% of women and 96.8% of men, hypertension was not treated effectively. After education, patients had significantly greater
knowledge about hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors; additionally, the use of fixed combination of antihypertensive agents resulted in the improvement in compliance and effective treatment of hypertension. The target blood pressure values were achieved in 79.5% of women and 76.7% of men.
Conclusions Patients education and the use of fixed combination antihypertensive agents improve the patient–doctor cooperation and effectiveness of hypertension treatment in daily clinical practice.
Material and methods During 15 months, 354 medical practitioners from all over the country, including cardiologists, internists, hypertensiologists and general practitioners,
included to the study 4218 patients with arterial
hypertension who started treatment with fixed combination of antihypertensive agents. Observation and education were performed on two visits followed at 3-month intervals, in which the questionnaires evaluating blood pressure control, behavioral factors and patients’ knowledge on the disease were self-reported. The compliance was assessed by the Morisky-Green test. During the office visits, patients received educational materials.
Results On the first visit, majority of patients had a poor knowledge on arterial hypertension, did not comply with non-pharmacological treatments and did not take their antihypertensive medications systematically. In 95.5% of women and 96.8% of men, hypertension was not treated effectively. After education, patients had significantly greater
knowledge about hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors; additionally, the use of fixed combination of antihypertensive agents resulted in the improvement in compliance and effective treatment of hypertension. The target blood pressure values were achieved in 79.5% of women and 76.7% of men.
Conclusions Patients education and the use of fixed combination antihypertensive agents improve the patient–doctor cooperation and effectiveness of hypertension treatment in daily clinical practice.
Keywords: educationcombinationshypertensionpatient–physician cooperation