Is it feasible to integrate a large-scale cardiovascular disease prevention programme within a primary health care system?
Demonstrates the feasibility of integrating a large-scale cardiovascular prevention program into existing primary care, highlighting a high prevalence of modifiable risk factors requiring intervention.
OBJECTIVE: To integrate prevention of cardiovascular disease within the primary health care. DESIGN: A prevention programme which combines population and individual high-risk strategy. SETTING: The Primary Health Care in Sollentuna, Stockholm, Sweden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Characteristics of, and risk factor prevalence among, persons registered in the prevention programme. RESULTS: During the first year more than 2000 persons, representing every tenth visitor and 6% of the population aged 15-60 years, were registered in the prevention programme. 90% were or = 5.2 mmol/l, and 33% and 22% had a diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mmHg. CONCLUSION: The present study implies that it is possible to integrate a large scale prevention programme in the existing primary health care organization. The prevalence of risk factors in those who enter the prevention programme is high, which places great demands for treatment and follow up.
Hellénius et al. (Fri,) studied this question.