Assessing hypertensive patients care in public health services

Abstract

To assess the quality of procedure and results of hypertensive patients care in public health services. November through December 1995, fifty-nine interviews were made with patients, either suffering a hypertension crisis or having been diagnosed as hypertensive, in seven hospitals in the municipality of Maringá, state of Paraná, southwest Brazil. Based on the interviews, a survey of medical handbooks was carried out in the public health care service units, to verify the presence or absence of recommended medical procedures for hypertension treatment. The great majority of the interviewed (52) had severe hypertension and 83% of them knew the disease. All of them reported to be under medical treatment, two of them were hospitalized without previous attendance in any public health service unit; forty-three (73%) reported to be following dietary recommendations and eighteen (30%) claimed to do physical exercises regularly. Twenty-nine (49%) medical handbooks were found and analyzed. Blood pressure was registered in 79% of the consultations, while size was registered in 14% of them. Diagnosis, prescriptions and directions were absent in 95% of the consultations. All patients needed internment, some for not have followed the prescriptions correctly and others for having inadequate medical treatment.