Primary Care Physicians' Knowledge and Attitudes on Cardiovascular Risk Management
Author Information
Author(s): Doroodchi Hamidreza, Abdolrasulnia Maziar, Foster Jill A, Foster Elyse, Turakhia Mintu P, Skelding Kimberly A, Sagar Kiran, Casebeer Linda L
Primary Institution: Outcomes, Inc.
Hypothesis
What are the practice patterns and barriers among U.S. general internists and family physicians regarding cardiovascular risk management?
Conclusion
There are significant gaps in primary care practitioners' management of cardiovascular risks according to guideline recommendations.
Supporting Evidence
- 28% of family physicians and 37% of general internists made guideline-based choices for no antiplatelet therapy in low-risk patients.
- 59% of family physicians and 56% of general internists identified the guideline-based goal for LDL levels in high-risk patients.
- Cost of medications was cited as the most significant barrier to CVD risk management by 87.7% of respondents.
Takeaway
Doctors sometimes don't follow the best advice for keeping hearts healthy, even though they know it. We need to help them do better.
Methodology
A case vignette survey was distributed to a random sample of 12,000 U.S. family physicians and general internists.
Potential Biases
Respondents were incentivized with a gift card, which could influence participation rates and responses.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data and used only four clinical scenarios, which may not cover the full spectrum of cardiovascular risk.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 562 family physicians and 326 general internists, primarily male, with an average of 18 years in practice.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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