Abstract P325: Perceptions of Primary Care Quality and Hypertension Control in the Eastern Caribbean

Introduction: The Caribbean region has high rates of uncontrolled hypertension, a condition that is predominantly managed in primary care. Though evidence shows patient perceptions of quality of care are associated with health outcomes, there is a paucity of research in the Caribbean. This study aimed to fill evidence gaps on the relationship between perceived quality of care and hypertension management in the Caribbean. Objective: To understand the role of quality-of-care perceptions in hypertension control in the Eastern Caribbean. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that individuals with higher perceived quality of primary care are more likely to achieve blood pressure control. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data (2013-2018) from the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort Study (ECHORN) (N=2961). ECHORN is an ongoing longitudinal study of adults conducted across four island sites. Participants completed a self-reported health survey, clinical examination, and laboratory testing. Participants who were aware of their hypertension status and reported a clinic visit within the past year were included in this study. The main exposure, perceived quality of care (QOC), was measured by asking participants to rate the quality of their healthcare. Likert responses were used and categorized as poor/fair, good, and very good in analyses. The outcome, hypertension control, was defined by JNC-7 guidelines and used as a binary variable. Pearson and Mantel-Haenszel Chi-Square tests were used for analysis. Results: The final analysis included 470 participants. Forty-six percent of participants had controlled hypertension, and 54% did not. Younger persons and those with higher educational attainment were more likely to have controlled hypertension. Twenty-four percent ranked QOC as poor/fair, 47% as good, and 29% as very good. Forty-one percent of those who rated QOC as poor/fair, 44 percent of those who rated QOC as good, and 53 percent of those who rated QOC as very good had their hypertension controlled. Mantel-Haenszel Chi-Square results showed a statistically significant positive linear trend in the relationship between QOC and hypertension control. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a positive relationship between higher perceived QOC and hypertension control in the Eastern Caribbean. Due to the burden of hypertension and the lack of region-specific literature on quality of care, further research is warranted to explore dimensions of QOC that most influence hypertension control.