A community-based hypertension register as a part of a systematic hypertension control project: Experiences from the North Karelia project

Abstract

A community control programme for hypertension was instituted during 1972 and 1977 as a major subprogramme of the North Karelia project. The aim was to reduce the high blood-pressure levels prevalent among the whole population of the county of North Karelia. A community-based hypertension register, established according to the recommendations of the WHO, served as a central information system and ensured the continuous follow-up of the hypertensive patients. During the period May 1972 to April 1977 17 014 hypertensive subjects were registered (9-7% of the total population). The registered subjects were followed-up annually. The build-up of the registration system took two to three years, the system proved to be feasible, the percentage of non-participants during the follow-up was between 14 and 16% and the amount of missing data was insignificant.

Un programme de surveillance de la population pour l'hypertension fut mis en place de 1972 à 1977 dans le cadre du projet de Carélie du Nord. Le but était dediminuer lesniveaux d'hypertension prévalent dans l'ensemble de la population de Carélie du Nord. Un registre de l'hypertension établi selon les recommandations de l'O.M.S. a servi de systeme central d'information et a permis le suivi continu des malades hypertendus. De mai 1972 à avril 1977,17014 sujets hypertendus furent enregistres (9,7% de la population). Les sujets furent suivis annuellement. II fallut 2 à 3 ans pour mettre en place le systeme d'enregistrement; celui-ci s'est avéré faisable, la proportion de non participants durant le suivi était de 14 à 16% et les donnees manquantes étaient insignifiahtes en nombre.

Key Words:

• Information system
• Community control programme
• Hypertension
• Hypertension register