Cardiovascular risk care in primary health care

Abstract

High-quality primary health care is essential for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, due to the opportunity to assess risks and provide pharmacological and lifestyle interventions. The family physician is the key person to initiate, coordinate, and follow up these conditions. With the aim of describing the level of professional performance of specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine in the care of cardiovascular risk, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 27 specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine who provided medical care at the Family Doctors’ Offices of the Ramón López Peña Teaching Polyclinic in Santiago de Cuba, between January and June 2024, and who agreed to participate in the research, in a natural context where daily practice takes place. The characterization variable used was professional performance and its care, communication, professional development, scientific-research, and bioethical dimensions. Descriptive statistical techniques (number and percentage) were used. The indicators showed that physicians do not master the care, communication, professional development, and scientific-research dimensions (≥ 69 %), while 100 % of the cases mastered the bioethical dimension. The final analysis of this instrument showed that the variable obtained a value of 28,4 %, qualifying in the decision table as not mastered. The reviewed documents confirm that these dimensions repeatedly show a high level of affectation, except for bioethics. Few strategies have been established to solve this situation, leading to a gap in competencies among professionals at the first level of care.