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Objective: Coordination function of primary care (PC) enables continuous, efficient, and cost-effective health care provided to patients with chronic disease and multimorbidity (MM). The aim of this study was to identify the most common chronic diseases and to determine the prevalence of MM in PC registries. Methods: Our study is a cross-sectional study. All the individuals aged 40 and over who were registered to the primary care units (PCUs) of the Uskudar district of Istanbul have formed the population of the study. A systematic cluster sampling was used. The patient list of each family physician in Uskudar district was accepted as a cluster and an equal number of patients from each cluster were enrolled. Only the information on the patients' MM data was requested from the primary care physicians. Results: The 108 physicians of the Uskudar district (response rate: 73.4%) gave consent to participate in the study. The 1187 (40.3%) of registered patients of all PCUs were 40 years old and over. The multimorbid patients were found as 330 (27.8%). Conclusions: Approximately, one of four patients have multimorbidity. So, the policy of primary care services should be redesigned for the management of MM patients including the 'goal-oriented care' approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: According to the World Health Organization(WHO), drug non-compliance in chronic diseases affects health conditions of patients negatively. The aim of this study is to determine the effects on blood pressure control and drug compliance in hypertensive patients by sending daily short message service(SMS). Methods: In this randomized controlled study, hypertensive patients were selected and divided into control and intervention groups. Daily SMS reminder has been send to intervention group for two months. Weekly ambulatory blood pressure measurements before two visits have been requested of all the patients and measurements were done at the visits. Compliance was scaled by Modified Morisky Questionnaire. Blood pressure measurements and compliance of each group was compared. Results: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study:45 were female,15 male; mean age was 55±11 years; mean BMI was 30±5 kg/m2; mean number of tablets per day was 4±2 pills. There was no statistically significant difference between the average at visit and weekly blood pressure (BP) measurements at first visit of two groups. The average at visit and weekly BP measurements at second visit were found to be statistically significant lower and the average at visit and weekly BP measurement change between first and second visit was found to be statistically significant higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. Drug compliance ratio was 36,7% for the control group, 96,7% for the intervention group. Conclusion: Sending a daily reminder SMS is effective in increasing blood pressure control and enhancing drug compliance in hypertension patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]