At a glance

Nexus HE created an immersive, AI-enabled learning experience for the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Congress 2026, aiming to reshape clinicians’ understanding of persistent uncontrolled hypertension. Reaching 2,310 learners, pre- and post-learning assessments showed that it increased knowledge by an average of 22% – and left 98% of expert-session attendees intending to change or improve their practice. 

The problem

Hypertension is one of the world’s most common yet undertreated cardiovascular risk factors. The fact that it is typically approached as a single condition defined by high blood pressure is concerning; clinicians do not routinely take the multiple underlying pathological drivers behind hypertension into account, putting patients in unnecessary danger. 

Aldosterone dysregulation is just one of those drivers. Responsible for regulating blood pressure by controlling how much salt and water the kidneys retain, excessive aldosterone can increase fluid retention and damage blood vessels, the heart, and the kidneys, contributing to both hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk. However, aldosterone levels are not routinely taken into account by clinicians making decisions about blood pressure. 

This is just one example of the underlying causes of high blood pressure that remain under-investigated. The longer such gaps are allowed to persist, the greater the cumulative effects can become. Nexus HE therefore recognised the need to reframe clinicians’ understanding of persistent uncontrolled hypertension – moving delegates beyond disease awareness towards practical consideration of patient identification, evolving evidence, and future clinical implementation. 

The solution 

Nexus HE decided to address its audience at the 2026 European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Congress, held in Gdańsk. However, it needed to think outside the box if it was to change minds and inspire real-world impact within a busy congress environment, in which conventional, presentation-led education can struggle to capture attention and respond to individual needs. 

It transformed the exhibition space into the Patient Journey Learning Room – an integrated educational ecosystem designed to make complex science visual, personal, and applicable – to cut through. 

A 12m x 3.5m LED wall stood at the heart of the exhibition, allowing immersive visual storytelling and audio-narration to take attendees along the hypertension patient journey. The story explored the multifactorial drivers of the disease, positioned aldosterone dysregulation as a pathological continuum, and demonstrated how cumulative exposure can contribute to progressive target-organ damage. 

Delegates could then deepen and personalise their learning through a CME-accredited, AI-driven web application, accessed via QR code, without the need to download software. Built around curated, pre-approved scientific content, the app allowed healthcare professionals to explore tailored educational pathways, work through different clinical scenarios, and pose their own questions to an Ask AI function. Questions were submitted in 18 languages – a reflection of Nexus HE’s dedication to support accessible, international learning while revealing clinicians’ most pressing unmet needs in real time. 

Four live 30-minute sessions then connected the emerging science explored to real-world clinical practice. Internationally recognised experts Bryan Williams, Alta Schutte, Reinhold Kreutz, and Krzysztof Narkiewicz discussed practical adoption, clinical trials, evolving guidelines, and future treatment integration. Aggregated insights from the digital experience helped keep discussions relevant to learners’ interests. 

Finally, a 15-slide downloadable resource hosted on the Nexus HE Learning Hub enabled healthcare professionals to revisit key evidence, treatment algorithms, visual summaries, and practical guidance after the congress. Together, these complementary formats allowed clinicians to enter the learning journey at the point most relevant to them and continue learning beyond the event.

Outcomes 

The programme – supported by an independent educational grant from AstraZeneca –turned delegates from passive attendees into active learners with measurable success: 

• 1,743 healthcare professionals visited the immersive room across two days (that’s 76% of those who attended ESH 2026). 

• 431 clinicians attended the expert sessions (216% of Nexus HE’s attendance target). 

• 1,069 clinicians used the AI learning platform over time, submitting 534 scientific questions in a range of languages. More than a third focused on aldosterone dysregulation, confirming the importance of the knowledge gap that Nexus HE had identified. 

• 702 healthcare professionals downloaded the Nexus HE resource provided (40.3% of all immersive-room visitors). 

• 3,945 instances of engagement were recorded across all programme activities (136% of Nexus HE’s target).

Knowledge also increased by an average of 22% following the live sessions, with every respondent reporting greater confidence and understanding after attending. More significantly, 98% reported that they intended to change or improve their practice based on what they had learnt. 

These results demonstrate the value of combining independent scientific education with thoughtful technology and human expertise. By designing teaching around learner needs and measuring changes in knowledge, confidence, and intended practice – rather than just attendance – Nexus HE makes it possible for clinical understanding to be translated into impact in the real world. The model developed for the ESH Congress can easily be adapted to meet the needs of other therapeutic areas, countries, and medical communities, too.