Investigating the effect of using digital stories on treatment adherence in elderly patients with hypertension: an experimental study

Abstract

Millions of premature deaths and disability-adjusted life years worldwide are attributable to hypertension. Educational interventions designed to improve adherence to therapeutic regimens are crucial for the effective management and control of hypertension, especially among the elderly. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of digital stories on treatment adherence in elderly patients with hypertension. This experimental study was conducted on 72 elderly patients with hypertension residing in Birjand, Iran. Participants were initially selected through convenience sampling from the registry of hypertensive older adults at the Geriatric Research Center of Birjand University of Medical Sciences. They were then randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group using Randomizer software. The intervention group received four digital stories over a two‑week period, whereas the control group received only routine care throughout the study. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Fatemi et al.’s Adherence to Treatment Questionnaire (2018). Data analysis was performed using paired and independent t‑tests, as well as Wilcoxon signed‑rank and Mann–Whitney U tests. At baseline, no significant difference in treatment adherence was observed between the intervention group (63.68 ± 1.72) and the control group (64.02 ± 2.16) ( P = 0.454). However, following the intervention, a significant difference emerged between the two groups, with the intervention group demonstrating higher treatment adherence (76.65 ± 2.07) compared to the control group (64.0 ± 2.36) ( P < 0.001). The findings of this study suggest that a digital storytelling intervention, delivered alongside message‑based and telephone follow‑up, may be a promising educational approach for improving treatment adherence among older adults with hypertension. However, further research with longer follow‑up periods, larger and more diverse populations, and designs capable of isolating the specific effects of digital storytelling is warranted to establish its sustained clinical and educational value. Not applicable.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Geriatrics, 2026 · DOI ↗