Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2011 , Vol 14, Issue 4
THE EFFICACY OF TRAINING GENERAL PRACTITIONERS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN GERIATRIC PATIENTS
Orhan ODABAŞI, Melih ELÇİN, N. Bilge BAŞUSTA
Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Tıp Eğitimi ve Bilişimi Anabilim Dalı Introduction: The leading problem with hypertension management is low rates of patient adherence. An ample communication with the patient could be the key to successful compliance for management of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program for management of hypertension in geriatric patients designed for general practitioners.

Materials and Method: During the training program, standardized patients were interviewed and the interviews were recorded and evaluated. The Hypertension Management Forms used during the training, were sent to the general practitioners via e-mail or were completed by telephone contact about two years following the training to evaluate changes in their practices of hypertension management.

Results: The general practitioners reported that the training program positively affected their skills and attitudes towards hypertension management.

Conclusion: The training program achieved its goals and it can be implemented into the curricula of medical schools. Keywords : Hypertension; Case Management; Geriatrics; Primary Health Care; Communication