title: [Factors affecting the follow up of hypertensive patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the factors affecting lack of continuity in hypertense patients' follow-up care and to define these patients' profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural health district.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic sample of the 1,487 hypertense patients in our health district (n = 642).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients' socio-demographic variables, characteristics of their AHT, treatment, risk factors and chronic illnesses were taken from the clinical records. The following were noted concerning lapses (defined as periods longer than six months without a blood pressure reading): beginning, end and number of lapses, consultations during a lapse and reasons for the consultation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  56% of the individuals in the sample had lapses. These patients consulted 2.8 times during each lapse, making a total of 1,174 consultations (47.1% acute problems; 23.5% chronic pathologies; 19.8% administrative matters and 7.5% AHT or related ailments). On comparing patients with and without lapses we found that variables with significant differences were: pensioner, education, profession, initial and current pharmacological treatment, smoker, years of the AHT's evolution and doctor. No significant differences were found for age, gender or tension figures. Lapses were less in diabetics and patients with Hypercholesterolaemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we defined an approximate profile of the patient with lapses, we found no relationship with tension figures. Both the fact that a high number of patients consult during lapses and the differences between clinics show the co-responsibility of the health factor as a cause of lack of continuity.
authors.affiliation: ABS Santa Eugenia de Berga, Unitat Docent de MFiC Centre de l'ICS, Barcelona.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iruela López
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juncosa Font
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors
vernacular_title: Factores que influyen en el seguimiento de los pacientes hipertensos.