Changes of the perceived quality of care for older patients with hypertension by community health centers in shanghai

BACKGROUND Monitoring and evaluating changes of quality of primary care for older adult hypertensive patients is part of effective delivery of primary care. This study aimed to investigate changes of older adult hypertensive patients' perceived quality of primary care over time in Shanghai. METHODS Two rounds of cross-sectional questionnaire surveys were conducted in Shanghai in November 2011 and June 2013. A total of 437 patients participated in the first Round survey and 443 in the second. Primary care attributes were collected from Community Health Center users through on-site face-to-face interview surveys using the validated Primary Care Assessment Tool. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine whether there was any difference in primary quality of care scores between 2011 and 2013 surveys. RESULTS Compared with those in the first Round, participants in the second Round reported higher scores in total primary care quality (28.73 vs. 27.75, P < 0.001), as well as primary care attributes including first-contact utilization (2.81 vs. 2.60, P < 0.001) and accessibility (2.48 vs. 2.44, P < 0.05), continuity of care (3.38 vs. 3.27, P < 0.001), coordination of information (3.82 vs. 3.67, P < 0.001), comprehensiveness of service availability (3.51 vs. 3.39, P < 0.001) and provision (2.69 vs. 2.43, P < 0.001), and cultural competence (2.67 vs. 2.49, P < 0.05), but a lower score in coordination of services (2.45 vs. 2.55, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Older adult hypertensive patients perceived better primary care quality from 2011 to 2013 in Shanghai. This may be associated with the general practitioner team service in Shanghai where hypertensive patients were targeted.