Physician compliance in the management of hypertensive patients

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate prospectively the value of different forms of intervention in the quality of diagnosis and treatment of essential hypertension in an Outpatient Clinic. In a first phase (phase 0) 115 patients with a blood pressure of greater than or equal to 140/greater than or equal to 90 mmHg at the initial visit in our Outpatient Clinic were registered. After a 3 months period the charts of these patients were reviewed. This review revealed that 61 (53%) of these patients were not followed by the treating physicians and that half of the patients who had an elevated blood pressure at the second visit and thereby an indication for therapy were not treated. In a first intervention the results of this investigation were discussed with the treating physicians and the necessity for an improved management of patients with essential hypertension was pointed out. After this intervention 116 patients with a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/greater than or equal to 90 mmHg were again followed for 3 months without knowledge of the treating physicians (phase 1). The chart review of these patients revealed no improvement in the management of the patients, 57% of these 116 patients were again not followed by the treating physicians and 48% of the patients identified by a follow-up visit as hypertensives were not treated. Thereafter a second intervention took place which included a nurse who scheduled 295 patients with an initial blood pressure of greater than or equal to 140/greater than or equal to 90 mmHg automatically for a follow-up visit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)