OBJECTIVETo investigate the status of the clinical agency of detection, management, and health insurance for hypertensive patients in urban and rural communities of five provinces in China in 2010, in order to provide fundamental data for implementation and evaluation of community health management of hypertensive patients in basic public health service.

METHODSFrom Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei, Sichuan and Gansu provinces, cities and districts (counties) were selected according to economic development level and 10 survey sites were finally determined. In each survey site, 3-4 communities or townships were selected by cluster sampling methods in 2010. A total of 8326 eligible hypertensive patients (4363 in urban and 3963 in rural) were included. The urban-rural difference of clinical agency and health insurance was compared for hypertensive patients.

RESULTSIn urban areas, 43.74% (1867/4268) hypertensive patients were first diagnosed at hospitals of district level or above, 25.07% (1070/4268) at community health service centers (CHSC), and 20.20% (862/4268) at community health service stations (CHSS), respectively; 30.72% (1274/4147) and 31.11% (1290/4147) patients chose CHSC and CHSS for their follow-up visiting, respectively; 60.23% (3073/5102) antihypertensive medication was obtained from pharmacies. In rural areas, 54.58% (2133/3908) hypertensive patients were first diagnosed at village clinics, 22.36% (874/3908) at township hospitals, and 18.86% (737/3908) at hospitals of county level or above; 70.49% (2695/3823) patients chose village clinics for their follow-up visiting; 46.23% (2116/4577) antihypertensive medication was obtained from village clinics, and 36.29% (1661/4577) from pharmacies. The main reasons for choosing clinical agency for both urban and rural patients were convenience (45.79%, 6276/13 706) and low cost (11.78%, 1614/13 706). The proportions of reimbursements for hospitalization expenses and total medical expenses for hypertensive patients in urban in the past year were 66.67% and 34.78%, respectively, which were much higher than those in rural (35.71% and 9.50%) (Z value was -12.13 and -17.56, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCommunity-based hypertension detection and routine blood pressure measurement during clinical visiting should be further strengthened to improve early diagnosis of hypertension. The development of community-based clinical agency should be able to provide convenient and low cost health service for hypertensive patients to improve treatment, follow-up and control of hypertension.