Hijrah Hijrah, Hasbullah Ulla, Ramluddin Udin, Nurwasilah Nurwasilah

Optimizing Family Role in Hypertension Management Through Education and Self-Monitoring

Introduction

Optimizing family role in hypertension management through education and self-monitoring. Enhance hypertension management with family education and self-monitoring. Discover how an intensive session significantly improves family knowledge and skills for effective home blood pressure monitoring.

Abstract

Hypertension is a chronic condition that requires routine management to prevent long-term complications. One effective strategy is home blood pressure monitoring by patients with family support. This community service activity aimed to improve family knowledge and technical skills in performing self-monitoring of blood pressure for hypertensive patients. The program was conducted in a single session with 20 patients and their family members. The intervention included interactive education and hands-on training using digital sphygmomanometers. Evaluation was conducted through pre- and post-tests for knowledge, along with observation of self-monitoring skills. The results showed a significant increase in family knowledge scores from an average of 45% to 78%, with the majority of participants in the high category. Self-monitoring skills also improved, with 14 participants rated as good, 5 as moderate, and 1 as poor. These findings indicate that a single intensive educational and practical session effectively enhances family capabilities as active partners, emphasizing the importance of self-monitoring blood pressure in supporting home management of hypertension. It is recommended to continue with follow-up or refresher sessions to maintain skills and consistency in blood pressure monitoring at home.

Review

This paper presents a valuable initiative focused on optimizing the family's role in hypertension management through targeted education and self-monitoring training. The study effectively highlights the critical need for routine management of hypertension and positions family support, particularly in home blood pressure monitoring, as a key strategy. The immediate results are encouraging, demonstrating a significant increase in family knowledge and improved practical skills after a single intensive session. The use of interactive education and hands-on training with digital sphygmomanometers appears to be an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing family capabilities as active partners in managing this chronic condition. However, several aspects warrant consideration for strengthening the evidence. The study's design as a "community service activity" implies a practical rather than a strictly experimental research framework. The small sample size of 20 patient-family dyads and the single-session intervention limit the generalizability and long-term insights. While pre- and post-tests showed impressive gains, the absence of a control group makes it challenging to definitively attribute the improvements solely to the intervention. Furthermore, the evaluation of self-monitoring skills through observation, while practical, could benefit from more standardized, objective metrics, and the abstract does not indicate whether actual changes in patient blood pressure control or sustained monitoring habits were assessed. To build upon these promising initial findings, several recommendations emerge. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies to evaluate the retention of knowledge and skills over time, as well as the sustained impact on patient adherence to self-monitoring and actual blood pressure outcomes. Expanding the sample size and incorporating a control group would significantly enhance the robustness and generalizability of the results. The authors' suggestion for follow-up or refresher sessions is pertinent and could be explored as part of a multi-session intervention design. Investigating barriers and facilitators to long-term family engagement and self-monitoring consistency would also provide valuable insights for developing more comprehensive and sustainable hypertension management programs.

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