Cost of treatment in hypertensive patients who include ear acupuncture / phyto-therapy into their drug treatment

Abstract

Background: control of hypertension reduces the occurrence of complications. However, in difficult-to-control patients costs are increased as a result of the need to use more than one drug.

Objective: to determine the consumption of drugs and the cost of treatment in hypertensive patients who include auricular therapy / phyto-therapy into their drug treatment and who belong to the health area of "Romárico Oro" teaching polyclinic in Puerto Padre, treated between April, 2013 and April, 2014.

Methods: an intervention in 68 hypertensive patients was carried out in the health area and during the time period mentioned above. The patients were divided into two equal groups, at random sampling. In the first group of study, the auricular therapy / phyto-therapy treatment was added to the medication, and the second, the control one, received only drugs. The statistical analysis was made using the Statistic system; the Chi-square test was used, considering p <or = 0, 05 as the level of statistical significance.

Results: at the end of the intervention the 67,65 % of patients in the study group controlled the disease only with medication mono-therapy; however, the 64,71 % in the control group required the combination of two or three drugs, increasing costs as a result. Treatment with auricular therapy / phyto-therapy, besides other benefits already reported has a low cost, it averaged 7.10 CUP per patient / month of treatment.

Conclusions: Auricular therapy / phyto-therapy contributed to a significant decrease in the consumption of drugs and the cost of treatment.