
Hypertension, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care physicians in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Author(s) -
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
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/jch.13320
Subject(s) - medicine , family medicine , primary care , blood pressure , general practice , pediatrics
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.