Assessment of Hypertension Guidelines Adherence at a Free Clinic Serving a Predominantly Latino Population in Providence, RI

摘要

Hypertension affects more than 50 million people in the United States. A recent national health study (NHANES) found that the proportion of certain Hispanic ethnic groups with stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension was greater than for whites. In order to identify areas of improvement, as well as to examine trends in patient outcomes, Clínica Esperanza/ Hope Clinic (CEHC), a free clinic for the uninsured, recently conducted a study to evaluate how well the clinic's hyper- tensive patients are treated, according to current guidelines for hypertension, as compared to other clinics in the U.S. that serve the uninsured. For five out of the six health mea- sures documented, at least 50% of CEHC hypertensive patients met or exceeded the goal values; these numbers are on par with if not better than other national comparators. This study has provided encouraging baseline data, upon which CEHC plans to make further improvements.