Hypertension management in a student-run free clinic: Meeting national standards?

PURPOSE: Affecting one in three adults, hypertension is one of the most prevalent disorders in the United States. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate, using national care guidelines and quality standards, the quality of care provided at the Student Family Health Care Center (SFHCC) of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (Newark). METHOD: The authors performed a chart review of all patients seen from June 2008 to June 2009, collecting the following data: age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, most recent blood pressure measurement, comorbid conditions, number of visits, free medications dispensed, and smoking status. The authors used the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) guidelines and Healthy People 2010 quality standards to analyze results. RESULTS: Of the 119 SFHCC patients seen during the study period, 60 had a diagnosis of hypertension. Overall, 30 (50%) of these patients were at target blood pressure. Of the 19 patients (32% of 60) with diabetes and hypertension, 5 (26%) were controlled compared with 25 (61% of 41) with hypertension only. Thirty-eight patients (63%) were taking a thiazide, 42 (70%) were on multidrug regimens, and all 19 of the patients with diabetes (100%) were on an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, as per the JNC 7 guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: SFHCC patients with hypertension received pharmacotherapy as recommended by JNC 7 guidelines and were at the blood pressure goal set by Healthy People 2010.