WHO meeting on community control of stroke and hypertension: Copenhagen, Geneva, 8-16 November 1972: progress report: hypertension programme in Tel-Aviv, Israel

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE cvo/s/12.22 ENGL! SH ONLY WHO MEETING ON COMMUNITY CONTROL OF STROKE AND HYPERTENSION Copenhagen/Geneva, 8-16 November 1972 PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERTENSION PROGRAMME IN TEL-AVIV, ISRAEL by J. B. Rosenfeld Beilinson Hospital Tel-Aviv University Medical School Tel-Aviv, Israel Since our last meeting, we have had an intensive "campaign'' with our policlinic doctors in order to explain and promote the whole thing. In addition to many joint meetings, lectures and indoctrinations, we workftd with the Regional Medical Director of the Tel-Aviv area in order INDEXED to choose the different policlinics which were identical in socio-economic structure; we then had to divide them in such a way that the plaoebo end the active groups should not be close to each other, so that the patients will not be influenced by the stepped-up care in the active group as compared wit,h the placebo. In addition, we have prepared a special form which the G.P.s were supposed to use in their first screening before using the WHO forms for the hypertensive patients. Training of adequate blood pressure measurement was included in a couple of sessions, and we issued a special instruction form on how to take a good blood pressure reading. A month ago we started a run-in period in which most of the practitioners who were not on vacation were asked to begin with the study. During this short period, w~ found that 7 out of the 74 doctors who had been ready to participate in the project decided to withdraw, so that we are not left with 67. These 67 are younger, more interested in their patients and in their work, and I hope the.tour subsequent drop-out will be minimal. The main objection of those who are still continuing the study is the paper-work involved in fillin~ out even the initial form. We are trying now to minimise the pap-.r-work by transferring some of the questions to the secretaries of the policlinics. Of course this involves some additional work by the clerical st~ff, and we are lookin~ about for means to pay for it. I hope that by the end of the year wo shall be able to send some completed WHO forms for processing. The issue of this document does not constitute formal oublication. It should not be reviewed, abstracted or ouoted without the agreement of the World Health Organization. Authors alone are responsible for views expressed in signed articles. Ce document ne constitue pas une publication. II ne doit faire l'objet d'aucun compte rendu ou resume ni d'aucune citation sans l'autorisation de !'Organisation Mondiale de la Sante. Les opinions exprimees dans les articles signes n'engagent que leurs auteurs.