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Q In patients with hypertension, are 3 monthly and 6 monthly scheduled follow ups by family practitioners equivalent in blood pressure (BP) control, treatment compliance, and patient satisfaction?
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★★☆
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled equivalence trial.
Allocation:
{concealed*}†.
Blinding:
blinded (data collectors, outcome assessors, and data analysts).*
Follow up period:
3 years.
Setting:
practices of 50 family practitioners in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Patients:
614 patients who were 30–74 years of age with a diagnosis of essential hypertension, were taking ⩾1 antihypertensive drug, and had controlled BP (<140/90 mm Hg in patients ⩽40 y, <150/95 mm Hg in patients 41–59 y, and <160/95 mm Hg in patients ⩾60 y) for ⩾3 months before study entry. Exclusion criteria: pregnancy, hypertension follow up by a specialist, or opinion of family practitioner that patient could not be randomised to 6 month follow up because of other medical problems.
Intervention:
3 month (n = 302) or 6 month (n = 307) follow up of …