Physician follow-up and long-term use of evidence-based medication for patients with hypertension who were discharged from an emergency department: a prospective cohort study.

Physician follow-up and long-term use of evidence-based medication for patients with hypertension who were discharged from an emergency department: a prospective cohort study. CMAJ Open. 2018 Apr 03;6(2):E151-E161 Authors: Atzema CL, Yu B, Schull MJ, Jackevicius CA, Ivers NM, Lee DS, Rochon P, Austin PC Abstract BACKGROUND: More than 25% of the population has hypertension. The number of patients seeking care for hypertension in emergency departments has increased by more than 60% in the last decade, with less than 10% of these patients subsequently admitted to hospital. Managing physicians recommend early follow-up to patients who are discharged from the emergency department, but there is a paucity of literature assessing the impact or timing of follow-up on patient outcomes. METHODS: Using a population-based cohort design, we included patients more than 65 years of age who were discharged from an Ontario emergency department with a primary diagnosis of hypertension between 2007 and 2014. We identified 2 cohorts: an incident cohort, and a cohort in which patients were on no more than 1 class of evidence-based antihypertensive medication at the time of presentation. Using logistic regression, we assessed the association of early follow-up care (within 7 d) and basic care (8-30 d), compared with no care within 30 days, on patient use of a new evidence-based antihypertensive medication 1 year later. RESULTS: Our study in...
Source: cmaj - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: CMAJ Open Source Type: research