The object of this study was to compare patients' experiences of two different treatments of hypertension (one mainly non-pharmacological and one pharmacological) and study the degree of patient satisfaction and experiences of treatment in general. The 165 patients in the non-pharmacological group participated in a two-year-long study of non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension (NPTH) at eight health centres in mid-Sweden. In addition to regular visits to the same doctor at the health centre, patients received monthly check-ups by a nurse at the health centre and participated in information programmes and group activities. The NPTH patients also used cuffs for home measurements of blood pressure. The 85 patients in the control group were recruited from two health centres and received traditional, pharmacological treatments of hypertension. The hypothesis was that the patients in the NPTH group would experience satisfaction with the treatment and perceive the treatment in general as more positive than those in the control group. The 250 patients have answered a postal inquiry with structured and open questions concerning the treatment. The results show that the patients in the NPTH group throughout this study have experienced higher satisfaction with the treatment and had a more positive attitude towards the treatment than the controls. The content and design of the treatment obviously had a positive influence on patient satisfaction.
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