چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background:The recent literature has shown that the risk of hypertension in the old strongly depends on their
physical abilities. However, it is unknown whether general practitioners (GPs) adapt their treatment strategies to the
patient’s independence. This study was conducted to investigate the treatment intentions of GPs for patients aged
80 and older with hypertension in relation to the patients’ level of dependency.
Methods:A vignette study in Belgium. Flemish GPs (n= 305) were invited, directly or indirectly, by email to fill out
a questionnaire, consisting of nine cases (three themes). In each theme, the level of dependency gradually
increased. Per case, a score depending on the GP’s treatment intention was calculated (range 0–3). The total score
represented the ‘Intention to Treat Hypertension in Older Persons’ scale (ITHOP-scale). The difference between the
score for robust patients and strongly dependent patients was calculated (delta score).
Results:The scores on the ITHOP scale showed a mean of 15.2 ± 6.0. A significant difference in treatment intention
was found between robust patients and strongly dependent patients. The delta score showed a mean of 1.7 ± 1.8.
Differences between the GPs were responsible for 75 % of the variance of the total score, and differences in the
level of dependency did not influence the variance (G coefficient =0.82). The GP’s experience showed an inverse
relationship to the total and the delta score.
Conclusion:Large differences in treatment intentions for hypertension in the very old exist between GPs, but the
patient’s level of dependency is not responsible for these differences.
Keywords:Hypertension, Aged, 80 and over, General practitioners, Physical activity