Hypertension Treatment Adherence with 3-D Models

Abstract

Hypertension treatment adherence is a significant issue in the United States. Almost half of patients with diagnosed hypertension are non-adherent with medications and/or diet and appointment keeping with their provider. Hypertension is the largest contributing factor in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the United States. 3-D modeling has recently become available and is now used in the setting of patient teaching. 3-D models provide a more lifelike experience for the patient, allowing them to visualize organs, with or without pathology, to increase the patient’s understanding of a clinical condition. The goal of this DNP project was to have providers utilize commercially available 3-D organ models in the clinic setting and augment their hypertension teaching to their patients using the models. The goal was to increase the patient’s hypertension treatment adherence while giving the providers an additional teaching tool when explaining the effects of uncontrolled hypertension to their patients. Outcome of this DNP project showed encouraging results for the use of 3-D models in teaching long term hypertension effects and has potential to be utilized on a larger scale, due to its ease of implementation and cost effectiveness.