Abstract
Background:
A continuing education program for health professionals improves their performance and increases hypertension control rates.
Objective:
To estimate the prevalence of hypertension control and therapeutic inertia among adults treated at Primary Health Care Units after a continuing education program focused on cardiology for health professionals.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was carried out, which included cluster sampling and analysis of medical records. We evaluated 463 patients with high blood pressure and analyzed the blood pressure, medications, and therapeutic increments in 2013, which were compared to the data obtained in 2007.
Results:
There was prevalence of female patients and appointments at the Family Health Care Units. The age ranged between 24 and 92 years (mean of 61.7 years). There was a reduction in the mean blood pressure (148.62/91.60 ± 23.52/14.51 mmHg to 137.60/84.03 ± 21.84/12.72) between the first and last records, and BP control in 58% of the sample, that is, higher than the 36.6% found in 2007. In the analyzed period, there was a therapeutic increment of 39% in appointments, which benefited 52% patients with high blood pressure, higher than the 12% and 29.5%, respectively, found in 2007. The mean number of drugs per patient increased from 1.85 to 2.05, with a predominance of diuretics and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors.
Conclusion:
There was a reduction in the clinical inertia and increased control of arterial hypertension was observed, compared with the findings of the previous study. The result suggests that the matricial support program for health professionals and other measures to improve disease control in the Primary Health Care Units were effective.
Keywords:
Hypertension / prevention & control; Hypertension / epidemiology; Prevalence; Inertia; Health Centers; Primary Health Care; Health Education