Are we satisfied with the follow-up of hypertensive and chronic kidney disease patients in outpatient clinics?

Abstract

Hypertension and chronic kidney disease constitute major health problems as they are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Large-scale clinical trials, have emphasized the need of a strict blood pressure and early recognition of kidney disease to reduce the complications. However, the rate of hypertension control seems to be low, the prevalence of hypertension and chronic kidney disease steadily increases, indicating a gap in the management of those patients. This is due either to a poor organization of the health care system or a defective patient-physician communication. This review will try to identify possible errors in the management of hypertensive and renal failure patients in outpatient clinics and to propose ways to improve prevention and control of hypertension and chronic kidney diseases in our population.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease; hypertension; outpatient clinic; patient's adherence; patients' satisfaction; quality of services.