Faber, Evelien (2026) Improving Patient Instructions for Primary Aldosteronism Screening Development and Evaluation of a Patient Instruction Form for Antihypertensive Medication Conversion. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common yet underdiagnosed form of secondary hypertension with a higher cardiovascular risk than primary hypertension. Accurate aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR) testing often requires temporary adjustment of antihypertensive medication, a complex process that may delay diagnosis. Structured, patient�directed tools to support medication switching prior to ARR testing have not been systematically evaluated. Objective: To develop a guideline-based instruction form for antihypertensive medication adjustment prior to PA diagnostics, and to evaluate comprehension and usability of the form. Methods: In a three-phase exploratory quantitative study, we developed the form based on international PA screening guidelines, tested comprehension with scenario-based multiple�choice questions among 12 hypertensive patients, and assessed understandability and actionability using the Patient Education Material Assessment Tool for Printable materials (PEMAT-p). Results: Patients answered a mean of 88.9% of scenario-based questions correctly, exceeding the predefined 80% threshold. PEMAT-P scores showed adequate understandability (79.4%) and actionability (77.5%), both above the 70% benchmark. Usability ratings concentrated in higher Likert categories from both patients and students. Conclusions: The instruction form appears comprehensible and actionable for hypertensive patients to safely manage medication switching prior to ARR testing, supporting greater patient involvement in PA diagnostics. Further validation in larger, more diverse patient populations is recommended to confirm generalizability and assess impact on clinical outcomes and healthcare efficiency.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Boer, D. de |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Oct 2026 14:11 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Oct 2026 14:11 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3986 |
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