Industrial hypertension program in a rural state. Efficacy and cost effectiveness.
A program was designed to evaluate the efficacy and cost of detecting and treating hypertension in an industrial population of a rural state. Original screening and evaluation was initiated by a trained blood-pressure technician team, but initiation of therapy was the responsibility of the private physician. Follow-up data were obtained at one year by rescreening in 83% and by telephone contact in 91% of the original hypertensive patients. Eighty-three percent of those patients with moderate or severe hypertension complied with physician visits. The condition of 60% of the treated patients was controlled, and the condition of 74% was improved. The total cost per patient treated for one year was 250 dollars; per patient with controlled hypertension, 446 dollars; and per patient with controlled or improved hypertension, $362.
D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D009513:New Hampshire; D009787:Occupational Medicine; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012423:Rural Health