Impact of Community Proactive Health Management Application on Electronic Health Literacy and Self‐Management of Hypertensive Patients

OBJECTIVE: Investigating the impact of the Community Proactive Health Management Application on electronic health literacy, self-management level, and blood pressure in hypertensive patients within the community. METHODS: Between September and November 2020, two communities in Hengyang City, Hunan Province, China were selected as the intervention and control groups using convenience sampling. Subsequently, 30 hypertensive patients from each of the two communities were randomly selected to participate as study subjects. The control group patients received foundational hypertension management, whereas the intervention group received additional care through the Community Proactive Health Management Application. RESULTS: Following a 3-month period, the intervention group exhibited significantly higher total scores (t = 2.193, p = 0.032) and application dimension scores (t = 2.605, p = 0.012) for electronic health literacy compared to the control group. The total scores of electronic health literacy scale for both the intervention (t = -5.671, p < 0.001) and control (t = -3.613, p = 0.001) groups were higher after the intervention compared to before. The total score of the self-management scale (t = 3.872, p < 0.001), as well as the scores for the treatment management (t = 6.580, p < 0.001) and habit management dimensions (t = 2.315, p = 0.024) of hypertensive patients in the intervention group, were significantly higher than those in the control group. The self-management scores of both groups of hypertensive patients showed a significant increase compared to preintervention levels (intervention group t = -14.391, p < 0.001; control group t = -6.584, p < 0.001). The intervention group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in systolic blood pressure compared to the control group (Z = -2.036, p = 0.042). Following the intervention, both groups exhibited a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels compared to preintervention levels (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Community Proactive Health Management Application has the potential to enhance the electronic health literacy and self-management capabilities of hypertensive patients, enabling them to engage in better health management, reduce hypertension levels, and elevate their overall quality of life.