Establishing a community hypertension team in the barangays to improve blood pressure control of hypertensive patients in Dulag, Leyte /
Joseph Robert S. Limos.
- xii, 92 leaves : color illustrations
Graduate School of Public and Development Management
Cardiovascular diseases account for most non communicable disease deaths annually. Hypertension is quantitatively the most important risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease, being more common than cigarette smoking, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, which are the other major risk factors. It is mainly due to an interaction of environmental and genetic factors. Although the precise genetic factors influencing blood pressure are largely unknown, many of the environmental and social factors that contribute to the development of high blood pressure are well known, and include obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and stress. In the municipality of Dulag, Leyte, for the past five years, complications related to uncontrolled hypertension continued to belong to the top five leading causes of morbidities and mortalities. The researcher analyzed the problem as caused by limited access and poor quality of hypertension treatment and control services in the municipality. Thus, this study came up with three objectives first, to determine the characteristics of the hypertensive patients in the municipality specifically their socio demographic and clinical profile, their level of hypertension knowledge, and level of self efficacy skills, second, to determine the barriers in hypertension treatment and control present in the municipality, and third, to implement an appropriate strategy that would improve hypertension treatment and control in the municipality. The mode of the research was qualitative and the method was descriptive. Results showed that in the municipality, majority of the hypertensive patients were male, married, 40 59 years old, and were below college level. For the clinical profile, majority had abnormal body mass indices ranging from overweight, obese, to extremely obese. Most of the patients lifestyle were unhealthy. They were mostly sedentary and had unhealthy diets. The patients level of hypertension knowledge were moderate to low and their levels of self efficacy skills in adherence to treatment were mostly moderate. The barriers in hypertension treatment and control that were identified were grouped into capability barriers (ones skills and abilities to perform a behaviour), intention barriers (ones commitment for change), and health care system barriers (health system constraints). Majority of the factors that served as barriers stemmed from poor quality and limited access to hypertension treatment and control services. The researcher then addressed the barriers through the establishment of a community hypertension team per BHS, a team composed of a nurse/ rural health midwife, and barangay health workers headed by a physician that delivered and brought down hypertension management services from the rural health unit down to the barangay level. Emphasis was also given on regular information education campaign and regular patient monitoring. By improving the overall quality and access to hypertension treatment and control services, three months post implementation of the strategy, there was a constant increase in follow up rates, compliance to maintenance medications and lifestyle modification. There were also significant improvements in blood pressure readings of patients, thus improving the overall status of hypertension control in the municipality.
Hypertension--Prevention and control--Dulag, Leyte, Philippines. Hypertension--Risk factors. Rural health services.