Practice Facilitation Improved Care for Patients at High Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Practice facilitation and an electronic health record (EHR) tool substantially improved care among high-risk primary care patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to an AHRQ-funded study published in Health Services Research. Researchers analyzed EHRs of nearly 438,000 patients treated at small, rural practices in North Carolina receiving the intervention and found that patients’ average 10-year ASCVD risk score dropped from about 23 percent to about 17 percent over a one-year period. Average risk scores calculate the 10-year risk of patients to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problem. The intervention helped practices calculate ASCVD risk scores for high-risk patients to guide decisions about when to begin and increase medications, such as aspirin and statins, to reduce CVD risk. Greater risk reductions were associated with men, Black patients, patients older than 65 and low-income individuals. The study was funded through AHRQ’s EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health initiative, which helps small and medium-sized primary care practices use patient-centered outcomes research to improve cardiovascular care. Access the abstract.