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Hypertension and medical informatics.
William McBride1, Carlos Ferrario, Paulette A Lyle
1Merck & Co. Inc., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA. william_mcbride@merck.com
Journal of the National Medical Association
|December 4, 2003
Summary
Medical informatics shows promise for improving hypertension management, especially in underserved populations. Further integration of technology is expected to enhance chronic disease care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Public Health
- Cardiovascular Disease Management
Background:
- Hypertension affects 27% of Americans, with higher prevalence and poorer control in African Americans.
- Hypertension poses a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems.
- Current hypertension management requires improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the utility, status, and future potential of medical informatics in hypertension management.
- To highlight the impact of informatics on patient and physician care.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of English-language studies from 1993-2002.
- PubMed search using terms like hypertension, medical informatics, and electronic medical records.
- Inclusion of current Internet-based information.
Main Results:
- Medical informatics demonstrates a favorable impact on healthcare.
- Early applications of informatics in hypertension management show clinical value.
- Computer-assisted management of hypertension is still in its early stages.
Conclusions:
- Hypertension management needs significant improvement.
- Expanding use of computers and the Internet in healthcare is anticipated to positively impact chronic disease management.
- Medical informatics offers a promising avenue for enhancing hypertension treatment and control.