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Reducing the knowledge-practice gap in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease
Ezra A Amsterdam1, Lawrence Laslett, Deborah Diercks
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California (Davis) Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. eaamsterdam@ucdouis.edu
Insights
Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death. Bridging the knowledge-practice gap in adopting proven treatments is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing mortality rates.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Services Research
- Medical Education
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality despite therapeutic advancements.
- A significant "knowledge-practice gap" exists, delaying the adoption of evidence-based treatments from clinical trials.
- Progress in implementing recommended cardiovascular therapies has been modest over the past decade.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the lag in adopting effective cardiovascular treatments.
- To explore strategies for bridging the knowledge-practice gap in cardiovascular care.
- To highlight the potential of performance tracking in improving adherence to optimal therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of factors contributing to the knowledge-practice gap in cardiovascular medicine.
- Analysis of recent approaches to assessing physician and institutional clinical performance.
- Examination of the role of performance tracking in promoting optimal patient care.
Main Results:
- The knowledge-practice gap impedes the implementation of optimal cardiovascular therapy.
- Performance tracking by physicians, health plans, and institutions is increasingly used for accreditation and consumer guidance.
- These assessment methods show potential for enhancing adherence to current cardiovascular care standards.
Conclusions:
- Closing the knowledge-practice gap is essential for reducing cardiovascular disease mortality.
- Clinical performance tracking offers a promising avenue to improve adherence to evidence-based cardiovascular treatments.
- System-level interventions are needed to ensure timely adoption of effective therapies and optimize patient care.
Abstract:
Despite major progress in the development of effective therapy to reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease, it remains the leading cause of mortality in this country. One aspect of this problem is represented by the lag in adoption of treatments with documented efficacy in large clinical trials. This "knowledge-practice gap" has been attributed to factors at multiple levels of the health care system that impede implementation of optimal therapy. Although there is evidence of progress in the use of recommended therapeutic modalities in the past decade, this has been modest. Recent approaches to assessment of patient care by physicians, health plans, and institutions through the tracking of clinical performance have been instituted to promote optimal patient care. They are being increasingly utilized for purposes of accreditation and will also provide guidance for consumer purchasing of health care. Such methods have the potential to promote increased adherence to current standards of care.