Distrust Hurts Blood Pressure Treatment

A meta-analysis of 11 qualitative studies from 2000 to 2005 found distrust of healthcare providers by those with high blood pressure impedes treatment.

Study author Pam Schlomann of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky., said that high blood pressure can be controlled, but not cured, through lifestyle changes and the use of medications, which may be continued for life.

Because of the need for long-term treatment, it is essential that patients and healthcare professionals work together to fight the disease, said Schlomann.

This synthesis of qualitative studies provides valuable information that will assist healthcare providers to better understand and manage conflicts between healthcare provider and patient perspectives of this condition.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, reported that in the presence of ineffective partnering, differences between lay and professional beliefs about hypertension result in inadequate management of the disease.