Hypertension knowledge scores by Module.

The growing burden of hypertension (HT) is projected to reach 1.56 billion globally by 2025 and is an increasing public health concern, even for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Uganda, where the prevalence of HT is 31.5%. The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a freely available HT online course on knowledge competencies for medical students in Uganda. The online course was developed by a multidisciplinary team at Johns Hopkins University to address HT control in resource-constrained healthcare settings. Students in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th years of medical school were randomly selected to participate in the online course. Pre and post knowledge tests were administered using an online survey system. Of the 201 invited students, 121 (60.2%) completed the study. Significant improvements in mean knowledge scores were evident following the online course completion for Module 1, Fundamentals of HT (21.9±2.5 to 23.7±2.5, p<0.001), and Module 2, Basics of HT Management (14.9±3.3 to 18.5±4.3, p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were evident by gender or school year. Students who took a shorter duration to complete the course had significantly higher mean score improvement between pre- and post-test (mean score improvement 7.0 if <4 weeks, 3.6 if 4–8 weeks, and 3.7 if >8 weeks, p<0.003). Students recognized information on blood pressure measurement (32.2%) and HT management (22.3%) as the most important concept addressed in the course. A self-paced online course, complementing medical school training, improved knowledge on HT burden and management in Uganda.高血压疾病负担日益加重，预计到2025年全球患者将达15.6亿，已成为愈发严峻的公共卫生议题，即便在乌干达这类中低收入国家（low- and middle-income countries, LMIC）也不例外，该国高血压（hypertension, HT）患病率达31.5%。本研究旨在评估一款免费的高血压在线课程对乌干达医学生知识能力的提升效果。该在线课程由约翰·霍普金斯大学（Johns Hopkins University）多学科团队开发，旨在应对资源匮乏医疗环境下的高血压防控难题。研究随机招募乌干达医学院三、四、五年级的医学生参与该课程，并采用在线调研系统开展前后知识测评。受邀参与的201名学生中，共有121名（60.2%）完成全部研究流程。课程完成后，两个模块的平均知识得分均出现显著提升：模块1《高血压基础》得分从21.9±2.5升至23.7±2.5（p<0.001），模块2《高血压管理基础》得分从14.9±3.3升至18.5±4.3（p<0.001）。不同性别、不同学年的学生间未出现具有统计学意义的得分差异。完成课程用时更短的学生，其前后测评的平均得分提升幅度显著更高：用时少于4周者平均提升7.0分，4至8周者提升3.6分，超过8周者提升3.7分（p<0.003）。学生们认为课程中最具价值的内容为血压测量相关知识（32.2%）与高血压管理相关知识（22.3%）。本研究表明，可自主安排进度的在线课程作为医学院教学的补充，能够提升乌干达医学生对高血压疾病负担与防控管理的认知水平。