Hypertensive patients' knowledge of high blood pressure

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Abstract
Objective - To investigate hypertensive patients' understanding of the circulatory system, in particular high blood pressure. Design - Semi-structured audio-taped interviews of patients immediately after a regular follow-up appointment with their physician. Setting - A primary health care centre and a specialist clinic (hypertension unit) in southern Sweden. Patients - 33 hypertensive patients, consecutively selected. Main outcome measure - Focus was set on the exploration of patients' understanding/knowledge. Results - In spite of a long history of hypertensive care, on average ten years, patients had a less than satisfactory understanding of their condition. Most patients knew their blood pressure values, but very few were able to give an account of what high blood pressure implies in functional terms. Knowledge of high blood pressure seems mainly to be derived from sources other than the health care system, in particular from the mass media. Knowledge of the risks associated with hypertension was quite good, as was the insight into how these risks could be managed. Conclusion - An assessment of patient knowledge of high blood pressure ought to be a starting point for educational strategies that aim to deepen patients' understanding of their state of health.