Effect of a mobile-based educational app on blood pressure of patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is known as one of the most important non-communicable pervasive diseases. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of a mobile-based educational app on the blood pressure (BP) of patients with hypertension. METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted on 66 military personnel who were definitively diagnosed with hypertension by a physician, and then assigned randomly into two groups as intervention (receiving mobile-based educational app) and control (receiving standard medical management but no app). Before the intervention, BP levels of both groups were measured with a calibrated sphygmomanometer. After 6 weeks, the BPs of both groups were remeasured using the same sphygmomanometer. Thereafter, descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired t-test, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square and Wilcoxon tests, were used. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS-21 software at a significance level of p<0.05. RESULTS: Comparison of the intervention and control groups showed no statistically significant difference between the groups in systolic BP (p=0.479) and diastolic BP (p=0.851) in the pre-intervention phase, but after the intervention, systolic and diastolic BP levels were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the mobile-based educational app had a significant effect on reducing BP in patients with hypertension. Therefore, using this app is recommended for those military personnel with hypertension.

Concept of error and nature of nursing error detectors in military hospitals: a qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nursing errors can cause irreparable consequences. Understanding the concept of error and the nature of nursing error detectors can significantly reduce this type of errors. The present study was conducted to explain the concept of error and the nature of nursing error detectors in military hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted on eight nurses working in different wards of military hospitals using a qualitative approach to content analysis proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. FINDINGS: 'The concept of error' and 'the nature of error detectors' in military hospitals were the two main categories extracted from data analysis. The present findings showed that the nature of errors in military hospitals is inevitable, a threat to job position and bipolar. Nurses use different resources to identify errors, including personal, environmental and organisational factors of detection. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Given the military nature of the study hospitals, organisational factors of detection played a key role in identifying errors. Moreover, given the perception of military nurses of errors, they were not inclined to personal detectors. The managers of military hospitals are therefore recommended to pursue a justice-oriented and supportive culture to help nurses play a more active role in identifying errors.