| LEADING ARTICLE |
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| Year : 1997 | Volume
: 4
| Issue : 2 | Page : 47-53 |
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Drug control of hypertension in primary health care centers-registered patients, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed G Elzubier1, Mohammed A Al-Shahri2
1 Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine & Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
2 Ministry of Defense & Aviation, Al-Hada Military Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence Address:
Mohammed A Al-Shahri
P.O. Box 40173, Al-Khobar 31952
Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 23008573 
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Objective : To assess the quality of the pharmacological control of hypertension.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Subjects: Primary health care centers-registered hypertensive patients.
Setting: Primary health care centers in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: Data was recorded, using a structured questionnaire, through direct interviewing of patients, and from their medical records. It included demographic characteristics, hypertension related, and doctors'-related variables; and patients' utilization of other health facilities and whether they had other chronic diseases.
Results: The proportion of patients with controlled hypertension was 37%. It was significantly increased with age below 55 years, with non-Saudis, duration of treatment shorter than 5 years; and with the use of monotherapy.
Doctors' care-related variables did not show significant variation with the number of controlled patients which may imply that the quality of follow-up might not be adequate.
Conclusions: The proportion of controlled patients cared for in the PHC centers is low. The factors associated with control were age, and the use of a single antihypertensive drug. The study questions the quality of follow-up of patients by the PHC physicians. |
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