Better by half: hypertension in the elderly and the rule of halves: a primary care audit of the clinical computer record as a springboard to improving care

Despite recent studies highlighting the benefits of treating elderly hypertensives, researchers have shown that the taking on board of these findings has been disappointing in primary care, where the 'rule of halves' still applies. Clinical computers could help performance in this area, yet national and local research suggests that they are under-used.