In the province of Holguin, the Pedro Díaz Coello health area, in the capital city, was selected as a reference as a demonstration area for the evaluation of the HEARTS international strategy.
This is an initiative, to which Cuba has been welcomed since 2016, that seeks to integrate in a transparent way to health services to promote global best practices in the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), with special emphasis on hypertension.
After some time since its implementation in Holguin, Rosabel Martínez Fernández, a second-degree specialist in General Comprehensive Medicine (MGI), is investigating its impact on the population and health professionals.
According to the specialist, this research takes place one year after the strategy was consolidated in the Pedro Díaz Coello polyclinic, which was selected as a pilot in 2022 to start this project in the territory.
“In the referred study we were able to evaluate the positive impact that this initiative had in the area through three fundamental aspects, the clinical effectiveness of this integration of standardized protocols based on evidence, by achieving blood pressure control in more than 60 percent of hypertensive patients in the area.
“In addition, the results of the continuous trainings to the Basic Health Teams (EBS) were evaluated, with a positive modification of all the knowledge of the health personnel in the initiative.
Finally, the main barriers and limitations of the study were identified in the aforementioned health área. In order to modify them and advance in the control of cardiovascular risk and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in Primary Health Care”, she concluded.
HEARTS is promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and is currently implemented in 33 countries in the region, with more than 7,158 health centers in the Americas.
The territory of Holguin implements the same with a differentiated attention model in the search for early detection, evaluation of the complications produced in the target organs due to the disease and also includes the review of treatments.
This year, the HEARTS model is expected to become the standard for cardiovascular risk management. Including hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia, in PHC in the Americas region.
Translated by Aliani Rojas Fernandez
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