Barriers to initiating treatment in hypertension & treating to target levels
The prevalence of hypertension is high (~30 per cent). It is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and renal failure, and cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death and disability in Australia. General practitioners have a central role in the prevention, detection and management of cardiovascular risk factors, with hypertension being the single most common problem managed in Australian general practice. However, both the initiation of anti-hypertensive medication and the treatment of blood pressure to therapeutic goals in those with hypertension have been identified as evidence-practice gaps. This study aims to identify the barriers general practitioners face in diagnosing and managing hypertension.
This project is a participant based study.