Evaluation of a video-assisted patient education program to reduce blood pressure delivered through the electronic medical record: results of a quality improvement project.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nLow-cost, automated interventions that increase knowledge and skills around diet and lifestyle modifications are recommended for cardiovascular disease risk reduction.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe initiated a quality improvement program to assess the impact of a web-based diet and lifestyle intervention utilizing short animated videos in adults with high blood pressure (BP) at a primary care clinic in Saudi Arabia. We enrolled adults with elevated BP, not on BP medications, who were identified using the electronic medical record. We delivered a web-linked diet and lifestyle intervention using animated videos covering diet and lifestyle topics. Videos and reminders were sent weekly for five weeks. Outcomes were proportion who engaged in the program, returned for a repeat BP within 3-months, and change in BP.\n\n\nRESULTS\nWe enrolled 269 adult participants, with a mean (SD) age of 41.6 (12.4) years; 77% were male. At the conclusion of the pilot, we demonstrated a high level of engagement: overall, 69% of materials were viewed and 67% of patients returned for BP. Patients who returned, had a mean (SD) baseline systolic BP of 138.0 (7.2) mmHg and a large mean reduction in SBP from baseline: -10.5 mmHg (12.4; P<0.001).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nIn this quality improvement project, a video-assisted, web-based, diet and lifestyle intervention had a high participation rate and a high return rate for reassessment of BP. While these findings suggest that this low-cost, automated intervention may have a great potential as a scalable support tool, randomized trials are needed in order to document its effectiveness.