Benefits of a computer-assisted education program for hypertensive patients compared with standard education tools.

ISIS (Initiation Sanitaire Informatisée et Scénarisée), a French computer-assisted hypertension and cardiovascular risk education program, was developed to provide patients at cardiovascular risk with a modern interactive educational tool combining rigorously scientific information with the aesthetic attractiveness of multimedia communication. To test the impact of this tool on patient health information retention, 158 hypertensives hospitalized for initial work-up (day hospital) or therapeutic adjustments (3 days) were randomized into control (n = 79) and ISIS (n = 79) groups. Both groups received cardiovascular education through standard means: physicians, nurses, dietitians and pamphlets. In addition, ISIS patients underwent a 30- to 60-min session on the computer with the ISIS program. Cardiovascular knowledge was tested by the same investigator administering a standardized 28-item questionnaire before and 2 months after education. Retesting was made by telephone. At the time of first assessment, all patients were aware that they would be retested. A total of 138 completed questionnaires (69 from each group) was analyzed. Overall mean cardiovascular knowledge score before education improved significantly after education. This improvement was greater in the ISIS than the control group. These results confirm the potential of computer-assisted education in hypertensives from a specialized center.