European Practice Assessment of Cardiovascular risk management (EPA Cardio): protocol of an international observational study in primary care
2009

International Study on Cardiovascular Risk Management in Primary Care

Sample size: 540 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Wensing Michel, Ludt Sabine, Campbell Stephen, van Lieshout Jan, Volbracht Eckhard, Grol Richard

Primary Institution: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre

Hypothesis

The quality of cardiovascular risk management shows variation across countries, general practices, and patients.

Conclusion

The study aims to provide comparative data on cardiovascular risk management and health-related lifestyles across Europe.

Supporting Evidence

  • Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality despite improvements in treatment.
  • Internationally comparative data can help identify performance gaps in cardiovascular risk management.
  • The study will explore the views of doctors and patients on innovative preventive services for CVD.

Takeaway

This study looks at how well doctors manage heart health for patients in different countries and what patients do to stay healthy.

Methodology

An observational cross-sectional study with stratified samples from 10 European countries, involving 36 practices per country and three patient samples per practice.

Potential Biases

Potential selection bias due to non-representative sampling of practices.

Limitations

The study may not fully represent all types of practices if only certain practices agree to participate.

Participant Demographics

Patients include those with established coronary heart disease, high-risk patients, and healthy adults aged 18-45.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI of 60 to 70%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1748-5908-4-3

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