Hypertension, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care physicians in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

• Published in: The journal of clinical hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.) Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 1187 - 1192
• Main Authors: Myanganbayar, Maral, Baatarsuren, Uurtsaikh, Chen, Guanmin, Bosurgi, Roberta, So, Geoffrey, Campbell, Norm R.C., Erdenebileg, Nasantogtokh, Ganbaatar, Khulan, Magsarjav, Purevjargal, Batsukh, Manduukhai, Munkherdene, Tsatsralgerel, Unurjargal, Tsolmon, Dashtseren, Myagmartseren, Tserengombo, Namkhaidorj, Batsukh, Batbold, Bungert, Andreas, Dashdorj, Naranbaatar, Dashdorj, Naranjargal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley and Sons Inc 01.08.2018
• Subjects: blood pressure; clinical practice; hypertension; knowledge; Original Paper; primary care; Treatment of Hypertension; blood pressure; clinical practice; primary care; hypertension; knowledge
• DOI: 10.1111/jch.13320
• ISSN: 1524-6175

We examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care doctors in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia using a recently developed World Hypertension League survey. The survey was administered as part of a quality assurance initiative to enhance hypertension control. A total of 577 surveys were distributed and 467 were completed (81% response rate). The respondents had an average age of 35 years and 90.1% were female. Knowledge of hypertension epidemiology was low (13.5% of questions answered correctly); 31% of clinical practice questions had correct answers and confidence in performing specific tasks to improve hypertension control had 63.2% “desirable/correct” answers. Primary care doctors mostly had a positive attitude toward hypertension management (76.5% desirable/correct answers) and highly prioritized hypertension management activities (85.7% desirable/correct answers). Some important highlights included the majority (> 80%) overestimating hypertension awareness, treatment, and control rates; 78.2% used aneroid blood pressure manometers; 15% systematically screened adults for hypertension in their clinics; 21.8% reported 2 or more drugs were required to control hypertension in most people; and 16.1% reported most people could be controlled by lifestyle changes alone. 55% of respondents were not comfortable prescribing more than 1 or 2 antihypertensive drugs in a patient and the percentage of desirable/correct responses to treating various high‐risk patients was low. Most (53%‐74%) supported task shifting to nonphysician health care providers except for drug prescribing, which only 13.9% supported. A hypertension clinical education program is currently being designed based on the specific needs identified in the survey.