EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATION OF PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Abstract

Summary. Hypertension is the most common disease among all cardiovascular diseases, affecting about 31 % of all adults on the planet. The results of epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of this disease is mainly due to the level of modified and unmodified risk factors. Patients’ education is important. The professional competence of nurses allows them to be actively involved in the organization of modern technologies for disease prevention, health promotion, education, support and long-term follow-up of patients as a part of an overall strategy to improve blood pressure control.

The aim of the study – to substantiate the main measures for the prevention of arterial hypertension by studying the effectiveness of nursing education of patients.

Materials and Methods. To study the role of a nurse in raising awareness and modifying risk factors in patients with hypertension during work of the curriculum for the prevention of hypertension, 120 patients were selected, including: men – 43.3 %, women – 56.7 % aged from 23 to 79 (48.33±12.93) years. Patients were divided into two groups: 68 people – the main group, those who were trained, and 52 – the control group, did not participate in training. All the patients at the beginning and after a year of observation filled in a questionnaire and underwent clinical examination. The results of the study were processed by conventional statistical methods using computer packages STATISTICA 10 and presented by the appropriate number of observations, percentages, a significant difference p (p <0.05).

Results. Patients who participated in the training program improved their knowledge of hypertension (by 47.07 %) and risk factors (by 50.88 %), possible complications (by 58.82 %), normal blood pressure (by 32.35 %), mastered the skills of self-measurement of blood pressure and heart rate (100 %) and keeping a diary of self-control. Repeated questionnaires showed a significant increase in the number of patients taking antihypertensive drugs, in particular, 86.76 % of patients began to take them constantly, and 13.24 % of them only with elevated blood pressure, inclination to drug treatment increased. Most patients demonstrated a positive tendency in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In patients of the main group there was a normalization of body weight by 10.29 % (in 7 people) and a decrease in patients with excess body weight (4 people, by 5.89 %); an increase in people with low stress, which is higher by 11.76 % compared to the pre-training rate; slight increase (by 23.5 %) in the number of patients in whom physical activity increased; 6 people gave up smoking; 3 (4.41 %) patients stopped drinking "a lot" of alcoholic beverages, 13 people (19.12 %) – reduced alcohol consumption, and 16 people (23.52 %) refused completely; 11 people (16.18 %)  limited the consumption of salt, changed the nature of their diet, increased the consumption of vegetables and fruit by 48.52 %, sea fish by 41.17 %, and 14 people began to consume less salty and spicy food, and reduced consumption of animal fats and increased unsaturated fats in the diet.

Conclusions. The participation of a nurse in the education of patients helped to raise awareness about the disease, possible complications, risk factors. It is important to master the skills of measuring blood pressure, counting heart rate and keeping a diary of self-control. Training maintains a high level of motivation, forms a commitment to treatment, new psychological attitudes that lead to changes in behavior and lifestyle, refuse of bad habits.