Evaluation of Community-based Hypertension Control Programme in South Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted to provide an overview of the community-based hypertension and diabetes control programme of 19 cities in Korea and to evaluate its effectiveness in controlling hypertension at the community level. In this longitudinal observational study, we analysed the data of 117,264 hypertensive patients aged ≥65 years old from the time of their first enrolment in July 2012 to October 2013 (up to their 2-year follow-up). The hypertension control rate of 72.5% at the time of enrolment increased to 81.3% and 82.4% at 1 and 2 years after enrolment. Treatment continuity, completion of hypertension self-management education, and longer enrolment duration in the programme contributed to improvements in hypertension control rate. This programme was characterised by a public health-clinical partnership at the community level. Despite its simplicity, the programme was evaluated as a successful attempt to control hypertension among patients aged >65 years at the community level.