Coverage and Yield of Opportunistic Screening of Hypertension in Government Primary Health Centers in Four Districts, Chhattisgarh, 2023

SUMMARY: Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease in India. However, many individuals attending out-patient departments (OPDs) remain undiagnosed. The study was conducted in government primary health centers (PHCs) in four districts of Chhattisgarh to estimate the coverage and yield of opportunistic screening during April 2023. The sample consisted of 150 eligible OPD patients per facility in 5 PHCs with a minimum of 750 participants. The data were abstracted from the OPD register and noncommunicable disease register for individuals aged 30 years and above and were analyzed. The coverage and yield of opportunistic screening were observed to be 60% and 20%, respectively. Coverage was higher among participants aged 50-59 years (75%) and among males (63%), whereas yield was higher among men (22%) and highest in Raipur district (28%). On average, 8 out of 100 eligible individuals were missed for diagnosis despite visiting a health facility. Further investigation is needed to understand the reasons for noncoverage, and measures should be taken to improve screening and diagnosis.