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Persons' experiences of having hypertension: An interview study
Assistant Senior Lecturer Helena Rosén1, Associate Professor Eva I Persson1, Lecturer Rebecca Gagnemo Persson1
1Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Box 157, Lund, 221 00 Sweden.
Insights
Globally, most people with hypertension struggle with treatment adherence. Understanding patient experiences is key to improving lifestyle changes and medication compliance for better blood pressure control.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Hypertension affects 1-1.5 billion people worldwide.
- Only 20-30% of individuals achieve controlled blood pressure (BP).
- Non-adherence to treatment, including lifestyle changes and medication, is a major challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of individuals diagnosed with hypertension.
- To understand patient perspectives on managing hypertension.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing inductive design.
- In-depth interviews conducted with twelve adults diagnosed with hypertension.
- Content analysis applied to transcribed interviews.
Main Results:
- Individuals adapt to their hypertension diagnosis in diverse ways.
- Collaboration with healthcare staff provided a sense of security.
- Despite support, patients reported ongoing anxiety and uncertainty.
Conclusions:
- Person-centered counseling, digital interventions, and nurse-led clinics may enhance patient care.
- These strategies can foster self-efficacy, crucial for adherence.
- Improved adherence is vital for achieving blood pressure control.
Background:
among the 1-1.5 billion persons with hypertension globally only, 20-30% have controlled blood pressure (BP). The most important problem identified is non-adherence to treatment, i.e., failure to change lifestyle and to take prescribed medication. Knowledge about the reasons for this is limited.
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to explore people's experiences of having hypertension.
Design:
Inductive design based on qualitative interviews.
Settings:
The south of Sweden.
Participants:
Twelve adults diagnosed with hypertension and treated in primary care were interviewed.
Methods:
The transcribed interviews were analysed using content analysis, which rendered three categories.
Results:
The individuals adapted to their diagnosis in different ways. Collaboration with the staff gave security, but the persons still perceived anxiety and uncertainty.
Conclusions:
To meet the needs of people with hypertension, strategies such as person-centred counselling and care, using digital interventions, following national guidelines and starting nurse-led clinics, may be of help. These strategies can give a foundation for increased self-efficacy, which is crucial for persons to be able to change lifestyle and adhere to prescribed medication in order to achieve BP control.
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