Abstract
Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of self-management training and follow-up with phone calls or mobile social network on the blood pressure of people with hypertension.
Background. Hypertension is one of the main causes of preventable death worldwide, and self-management training and follow-up is of particular importance in these patients.
Method. This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 100 patients with primary hypertension referred to AL-Zahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran in 2016. The patients were recruited through convenience sampling and were allocated by blocking randomization into four groups, control group, “self-management education without follow-up” group, “self-management education by social network follow-up” group (education and weekly follow-up for 6 weeks) and “self-management education by telephone follow-up” group (education along with weekly calls for 6 weeks). Data were collected before and 6 weeks after intervention. The data were analyzed using Chi-square test, ANOVA, and paired t-test in SPSS, version 16.
Findings. After intervention, the study groups were significantly different in terms of blood pressure (P ≤0.0001). According to Scheffe post hoc test, intervention groups (with and without follow-up) had a statistically significant difference regarding to the blood pressure when compared with compared with the control group (P≤0.0001). Scheffe post hoc test results showed that three interventions (education without follow-up, education with telephone follow-up and education with social networks follow-up) did not differ in terms of effect on systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusion. Self-management training and follow-up by telephone or mobile social network were effective on the blood pressure of people with hypertension. Nurses can take a positive step towards improving the management of hypertension with a comprehensive patient education and follow-up.