Trends of adequate hypertensive patients from 2017 to 2019 in Portuguese Primary Health Care

Abstract

BackgroundArterial hypertension (AHT) adequate monitoring implies, follow-up, non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapeutic measures in the General Practice (GP). The Primary Health Care Identity Card (BI-CSP) platform collects wide-nation data, disaggregatable down to the level of the Regional Health Administration (RHA) and the Health Centres Cluster (HCC). We intended to study the trends of the indicator ‘Proportion of hypertensive patients with adequate monitoring’, April to June, 2017 to 2020, at the nationwide total and by RHA.MethodsCross-sectional observational study, of a sample of randomised HCC of each RHA. Data from April to June, 2017 to 2020, were collected from the BI-CSP for the health indicator. Trends were calculated for 2017 to 2019, for 2017 to 2020 and for the mean of the period 2017 to 2019 and 2020, nationwide and by RHA.ResultsAt nation-wide level, a trends of Δ = +20.03 for 2017 and 2019, of Δ = -0.06 for 2017 and 2020 and of Δ = -0.18 for the mean of the triennial 2017–2019 period and 2020. At the RHA level, positive trends existed between 2017 and 2019. The trends between 2017 and 2020 were distinctively negative, more marked in the North (Δ = -27.33) but still positive for Algarve (Δ = +55.78).ConclusionsThe positive trends from 2017 to 2019 disappeared with the COVID19 pandemics. Harmful outcomes in the long term are so to be expected. RHA differences mean health inequities. Portuguese GP need new tactics to tackle the strategy of adequate control of AHT: Pro-activity in face-to-face consultations at well-defined times and distance contacts.