A computerized data-handling system in hypertension management.

An inexpensive, easy to use, computerized data-handling system is described for managing patients with hypertension. It has been in operation for 2 1/2 years in a clinic that functions with nurse specialists and physicians working as a team. Data entry and retrieval are performed by nurse specialists. Computer entries have been made for over 1,030 new patients who had 5,873 clinic revisits and 1,800 laboratory visits. Several kinds of outputs are generated that assist physicians in patient management. Most useful are those on the laboratory flow sheet, which itemizes all or selected laboratory results by date, and the blood pressure and selected laboratory data flow sheets, which chronologically list pertinent patient data necessary for management.