Abstract
Lack of follow-up care for hypertension adversely affects health in urban communities. The authors designed this study to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of a specialized intervention program for hypertension follow-up and (2) evaluate the associations with loss to follow-up. They evaluated factors related to loss to follow-up to either a routine care medical clinic or a special primary care intervention program (the Competitive Initiative Program [CIP]). They also conducted interviews to provide in-depth information on the barriers to this program. They found that patients referred through the CIP were significantly more likely to receive follow-up care through a primary care provider. Cost of care, long waiting times, lack of physician continuity, and more pressing priorities explained the lack of follow-up care. Despite a program to provide health care at no cost to patients, lack of insurance and worries about cost are described as barriers to adequate follow-up for hypertension treatment.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 290-301 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Access to care
- Community interventions
- Hypertension treatment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health