Impact of the Teach-Back Method on Patients Engagement with Digital Technology in Hypertension Management: A Longitudinal Study

Introduction: The teach-back method is an effective strategy for enhancing patient engagement in chronic disease management. However, no studies have explored the impact of combining this educational approach with wearable devices on patient engagement in hypertension management. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a teach-back-based educational approach in promoting engagement with wearable devices among patients with hypertension. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted. The study included 76 patients and included three phases. In the first phase (T0), patients received training about the use of two wearable technology devices through the teach-back method. Immediately afterward, participants completed the TWente Engagement with E-health Technologies Scale (TWEETS) to measure engagement at T0. Patient engagement was reassessed at 6 (T1) and 12 weeks (T2) after the educational training. A repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to compare the mean scores across the three phases. Results: The statistical analysis revealed no significant change in the TWEETS score between T0 and T1 (p = 0.42). However, the score significantly decreased at T2 compared to the previous two time points (p < 0.002). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the teach-back method is effective for maintaining patient engagement in the short to medium term. However, its impact appears to decrease over time. Nurses can use the teach-back method to support education and enhance engagement with digital technology among hypertensive patients. Further research is needed to explore whether combining teach-back with additional strategies, such as gamification, telemedicine, remote monitoring, or peer support, can help sustain long-term patient engagement with digital health technologies.