Galán M, Sellarès J, Monteserín R, Vicuña J, Moral I, Brotons C. [Effectiveness of the clinical assistant in the control of hypertensive and diabetic patients in primary care].
Aten Primaria 2024;
56:102853. [PMID:
38244288 PMCID:
PMC10831181 DOI:
10.1016/j.aprim.2023.102853]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of the incorporation of the clinical assistant in improving the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in a primary care center.
DESIGN
Quasi-experimental study (pre-post), with a control group, with a 1-year follow-up.
SETTING
Primary care center.
PARTICIPANTS
Patients between the ages of 18 and 85 with a diagnosis of diabetes type 2 and/or hypertension were selected.
INTERVENTION
Incorporation of the figure of the clinical assistant, previously trained. The latter contacted the patient to explain their role and obtain informed consent, assessed compliance with the protocols, and when they were incomplete and/or detected warning signs, referred the patient directly to medicine and/or nursing.
RESULTS
Three thousand and sixty-four patients participated, 30.74% assigned to the intervention group. Fifty percent were women. The mean age was 68.5 years (SD 11.07). 93.59% of diabetic patients in the intervention group had at least one determination of glycosylated hemoglobin compared to 86.83% in the control group (p=0.003). Fundus and diabetic foot screening was significantly higher in the intervention group (94.31% and 85.41% vs. 83.49% and 72.38%). 88.43% of the patients in the intervention group had registered blood pressure figures compared to 62.06% of the patients in the control group (p<0.05). There were not statistically significant differences in the control of blood pressure between the patients with recorded measures (p=0.478).
CONCLUSIONS
Clinical assistants can facilitate the implementation and compliance with chronic diseases protocols, and in the long run improve the degree of control of these patients and the quality of care.
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