[Study on the influence of knowledge about hypertension and clinical management competence among physicians treating hypertensives in district and community hospitals].

Objective: To analyze the influence of knowledge about hypertension and clinical competence among physicians in district and community hospitals on management of hypertensives.

Methods: Questionnaire investigation was used in 9 district and community hospitals in Chaoyang and Haidian district, including 181 physicians and 204 patients with hypertension.

Results: (1) The hospitals involved were divided into two groups according to our evaluation on the knowledge of hypertension and clinical competence of physicians. Four hospitals were graded as high-score group and 5 hospitals as low-score group. (2) There was no significant difference on physicians' evaluation between district and community hospitals. There was higher proportion of hypertensives with instructed physical exercises, reducing salt ingestion, psychological balance and weight reduction in district hospitals than those in community ones. (3) The proportion of hypertensives who were examined with funduscopy, ambulatory pressure and instructed with physical exercises, reducing salt ingestion and weight reduction in high-score group was obviously higher than that in low-score group. The control rates of blood pressure, on the days of examination during lastest check-up or the past three months, were significantly higher in high-score group than in low-score group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Knowledge of hypertension and clinical management competence among physicians in district and community hospitals did influence the management of hypertension and education of physicians and thus should be increased.