Association between attendance at outpatient follow-up appointments and blood pressure control among patients with hypertension.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of regularity in treatment follow-up appointments on treatment outcomes among hypertensive patients attending different healthcare settings in Islamabad, Pakistan. Additionally, factors associated with regularity in treatment follow-up were also identified.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was undertaken in selected primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings between September, 2017 and December, 2018 in Islamabad, Pakistan. A structured data collection form was used to gather sociodemographic and clinical data of recruited patients. Binary logistic regression analyses were undertaken to determine association between regularity in treatment follow-up appointments and blood pressure control and to determine covariates significantly associated with regularity in treatment follow-up appointments.

RESULTS

A total of 662 patients with hypertension participated in the study. More than half 346 (52%) of the patients were females. The mean age of participants was 54 ± 12 years. Only 274 (41%) patients regularly attended treatment follow-up appointments. Regression analysis found that regular treatment follow-up was an independent predictor of controlled blood pressure (OR 1.561 [95% CI 1.102-2.211; P = 0.024]). Gender (OR 1.720 [95% CI 1.259-2.350; P = 0.001]), age (OR 1.462 [CI 95%:1.059-2.020; P = 0.021]), higher education (OR 1.7 [95% CI 1.041-2.778; P = 0.034]), entitlement to free medical care (OR 3.166 [95% CI 2.284-4.388; P = 0.0001]), treatment duration (OR 1.788 [95% CI 1.288-2.483; P = 0.001]), number of medications (OR 1.585 [95% CI 1.259-1.996; P = 0.0001]), presence of co-morbidity (OR 3.214 [95% CI 2.248-4.593; P = 0.0001]) and medication adherence (OR 6.231 [95% CI 4.264-9.106; P = 0.0001]) were significantly associated with regularity in treatment follow-up appointments.

CONCLUSION

Attendance at follow-up visits was alarmingly low among patients with hypertension in Pakistan which may explain poor treatment outcomes in patients. Evidence-based targeted interventions should be developed and implemented, considering local needs, to improve attendance at treatment follow-up appointments.