Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The healthcare sector crisis is a reality affecting countries all over the world. In order to mitigate it, different cost-effective measures, such as promotion of health and disease prevention, have been implemented. However, several variables may limit these measures, among which are patients’ responsibilities. Objectives: In this study patient behavior (disease knowledge and self-care practices) as a determinant factors in the healthcare system crisis was analyzed in a group of hypertensive patients.

METHODS: This was a descriptive correlational cross-sectional study in which 185 patients diagnosed with high blood pressure attending the high blood pressure program at three different primary health care locations in Cartagena, Colombia 2017. A questionnaire, structured into three components: 1) sociodemographic characteristics, 2) disease knowledge, and 3) self-care practices and lifestyle, was administered to participating individuals. The Analysis of the information was made in SPSS version 22.

RESULTS: The average hypertensive disease knowledge was high (60.5%). Self-care practices were rated as mediocre (73.5%) or poor (24.3%). A significant correlation establishing that with increased level of disease knowledge, self-care practices improve by 11.5% (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Patient behavior constitutes a determinant factor in the health care system crisis, since although hypertensive patients possess good disease knowledge, they do not put it into practice, constituting an absurd attitude taking into account that it’s related to their wellbeing, and it turns into an attack on a health care system that is about to collapse.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.