Arterial hypertension and erectile dysfunction: an experience in the study of their comprehensive care

Abstract

At present, the issues related to arterial hypertension and erectile dysfunction constitute one of the phenomena that have attracted most attention in the last five years, due to their prevalence. This complex comorbidity, due to its psychological, physiological and medical implications, requires comprehensive in-hospital and out-of-hospital care. The primary purpose of the research was to identify the main categories that should be considered in the design of a comprehensive care process for patients with arterial hypertension and erectile dysfunction. A mixed methodology was used, with qualitative predominance. The process was divided into two stages, the first for the implementation of a grounded theory design and the second for a descriptive exploratory cross-sectional study.  The main results show the need to further explore the etiology of both disorders and the physio-psychological nature of comorbidity. In addition, categories were identified that point towards the importance of disease critique and treatment adherence, multi- and interdisciplinary care with designed linkage of multimodal treatments. The study revealed the need for specialized tools and comprehensive medical and psychological care to improve patients' quality of life.