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The capacity of primary health care centers in Jordan to manage hypertension: areas for improvement

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Abstract

The assessment of the capacity of Primary Health Care (PHC) settings for the management of hypertension is essential to identify areas for improving management outcomes. This study aimed to assess the capacity of PHC centers in Jordan to manage hypertension including the assessment of human resources, equipment, and infrastructure. All comprehensive PHC centers located in Irbid and Mafraq governorates in north of Jordan (n = 23) were assessed. An assessment tool from HEARTS Technical Package was adapted and used for assessment. All centers have general practitioners and half of the centers (n = 11, 47.8%) had at least one family doctor working full time. In only one center, all doctors, nurses, and other health workers were trained on the management of hypertension. All centers, except one, had at least one functional automatic blood pressure measuring devices (BPMDs). Almost two thirds of centers (43.5%) had no measuring tapes. ECG machines were present in all centers except two. One third (n = 8, 34.8%) of centers had no functional glucometers. The majority of health centres carry out the laboratory investigations. Educational materials on physical activity, hypertension, and diabetes were seen in four (17.4%) centers only. Necessary medications were always available in the majority of health centers. In conclusion, this assessment revealed many areas for improvement in human resources, equipment, infrastructures, and other resources, such as developing an updated guideline/protocol of hypertension management, training the PHC staff on these guidelines, providing PHC centers with the necessary equipment, and establishing e-registry to improve documentation of data.

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Funding

The study was funded by the Resolve to Save Lives. Funding body provided financial support to conduct the study and has no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Health Development (GHD)/Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), Amman, Jordan

    Omar Al-Hadeethi, Mohannad Al Nsour, Osama Khaled Alkhlaifat, Hanin Al Jawaldeh & Aseel Hayajneh

  2. Department of Public Health, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

    Yousef Khader

Authors
  1. Omar Al-Hadeethi
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  2. Mohannad Al Nsour
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  3. Yousef Khader
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  4. Osama Khaled Alkhlaifat
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  5. Hanin Al Jawaldeh
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  6. Aseel Hayajneh
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Correspondence to Yousef Khader.

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Al-Hadeethi, O., Al Nsour, M., Khader, Y. et al. The capacity of primary health care centers in Jordan to manage hypertension: areas for improvement. J Hum Hypertens 36, 473–481 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-020-00433-z

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