Implementing the National Cholesterol Education Program's update to the ATP III report

The National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) report is widely used to establish risk-reduction target goals. The recent update to NCEP ATP III outlines additional treatment options for certain patient populations. The ambiguity inherent in providing optional therapeutic targets poses a challenge to disease management programs that establish standardized procedures requiring approval from physicians who refer patients to their programs. This report outlines a strategy for adapting the treatment option language into a viable standardized procedure.