Feasibility of conducting cardiovascular outcome research in Australian general practice: results from the ANBP2 pilot study. Australian National Blood Pressure Study.
1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was > or = 160 mmHg systolic or > or = 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was > or = 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82,000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP > or = 160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven per cent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.
Reid
C M
CM
ANBP2 National Centre, Baker Medical Research Institute, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.
Nelson
M
M
Beckinsale
P
P
Ryan
P
P
Wing
L M
LM
Beilin
L J
LJ
Brown
M A
MA
Jennings
G L
GL
Johnston
C I
CI
Marley
J
J
McNeil
J J
JJ
Morgan
T O
TO
Shaw
J
J
Steven
I D
ID
West
M J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome