Table I.
Characteristics Among Hypertension Visits to Physicians by Physician Specialty, NAMCS 2003–2005
| GP/Family | Internist | Cardiologist | Others | P Value | |
| Sociodemographic | |||||
| Age, y | 60.6 (0.55) | 63.4 (0.59) | 66.5 (0.51) | 62.7 (1.01) | <.001 |
| Age ≥65 y | 40.6 (1.8) | 49.6 (1.7) | 58.9 (1.8) | 51.7 (2.9) | <.001 |
| White race | 73.3 (2.4) | 69.4 (3.2) | 74.8 (3.0) | 67.6 (3.5) | .367 |
| Male | 44.6 (1.4) | 42.6 (2.0) | 44.7 (1.6) | 38.3 (2.6) | .162 |
| Insurance | |||||
| Private | 48.9 (2.1) | 43.3 (2.1) | 36.8 (1.9) | 39.7 (2.9) | <.001 |
| Medicare/Medicaid | 39.2 (2.3) | 49.1 (2.0) | 57.1 (1.8) | 56.0 (2.8) | |
| No insurance | 4.5 (0.8) | 2.3 (0.5) | 1.4 (0.4) | 1.7 (0.6) | |
| Others | 7.4 (1.2) | 5.3 (0.8) | 4.6 (0.8) | 2.6 (0.6) | |
| Office visits | |||||
| Office in MSA | 81.1 (5.4) | 85.0 (4.4) | 91.4 (3.7) | 88.3 (5.3) | .327 |
| PCP | 97.0 (0.5) | 94.9 (1.7) | 25.6 (4.2) | 39.9 (5.0) | <.001 |
| Minutes with patients | 19.0 (0.4) | 20.2 (0.7) | 21.3 (0.8) | 21.4 (1.3) | .159 |
| Clinical | |||||
| Hyperlipidemia | 21.2 (1.2) | 23.6 (2.3) | 23.0 (2.1) | 10.6 (1.9) | .001 |
| Smoke | 30.6 (2.2) | 30.2 (3.5) | 26.3 (2.7) | 24.3 (3.3) | .476 |
| Diabetes | 19.3 (1.2) | 19.7 (1.7) | 9.9 (1.3) | 17.4 (1.9) | .006 |
| Systolic BP, mm Hg | 140 (0.76) | 137 (0.89) | 138 (0.64) | 141 (1.23) | <.001 |
| Diastolic BP, mm Hg | 82 (0.45) | 80 (0.49) | 78 (0.41) | 80 (0.95) | <.001 |
| Heart failure | 0.91 (0.2) | 1.1 (0.3) | 4.3 (0.7) | 1.7 (0.5) | <.001 |
| CHD | 3.1 (0.4) | 5.7 (0.9) | 29.4 (2.9) | 3.0 (0.8) | <.001 |
| BP <140/90 mm Hg | 43.5 (1.5) | 53.0 (1.9) | 48.8 (1.9) | 41.8 (2.9) | <.001 |
Abbreviations: BP, blood pressure; CHD, coronary heart disease; GP, general practice; MSA, metropolitan statistical area; NAMCS, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; PCP, primary care physician. Values are expressed as percentage (standard error).