A study was conducted to evaluate the traditional method (physician, nurse) versus a systems approach method of providing health education. The objectives included the following: identify cost-effective and feasible ways of delivering patient education; guarantee an important resource for the professional in fulfilling his/her patient education responsibilities with economy and efficiency; help minimize the medical workload; assure medical accountability in the patient education area; improve medical management; decrease patient recidivism; enhance patient satisfaction; and assist the patient consumer to be an effective self-care agent. The sample consisted of 502 diagnosed adult essential hypertensive army patients derived from the active duty, retired, and dependent population of two army outpatient clinics. A two-group experimental design was used. Personal characteristics, measures of comprehension and retention, measures of compliance behavior, locus of control, and reading level were the main categories of patient variables. Major conclusions were that all of the data indicated a need for a more effective, efficient, and cost-effective method of patient education than now exists in the army health care delivery system. (Author/JH)