Evaluación de la competencia y el desempe？o: Programa nacional de hipertensión arterial.

in order to evaluate the competence and fulfilment in connection with the national program of hypertension, 120 family physicians selected at random were interviewed. family medical histories were examined, among other documents. only a few of them, knew the present criteria for the diagnosis, had a right behaviour in the presence of limited values, and started treatment depending on the blood pressure readings. the percentage of hypertensives could not be obtained because the concept was disregarded and the blood pressure takings were insufficient and non systematic. the prevalences found were far from the previous reference values and much more distant from those presented by the national commission. the identification of needs must lead to the implementation of a community program of secundary prevention, to updating by permanent education, and to periodic evaluations of this program and of classification, to attain the proposed goals.