Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Arriba: effects of an educational intervention on prescribing behaviour in prevention of CVD in general practice
Heidemarie Keller1, Tanja Krones, Annette Becker
1Department of General Practice, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 4, Marburg, Germany. kellerhe@staff.uni-marburg.de
Background:
Evidence on the effectiveness of educational interventions on prescribing behaviour modification in prevention of cardiovascular disease is still insufficient. We evaluated the effects of a brief educational intervention on prescription of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), inhibitors of platelet aggregation (IPA), and antihypertensive agents (AH).
Design:
Cluster randomised controlled trial with continuous medical education (CME) groups of general practitioners (GPs).
Methods:
Prescription of statins, IPA, and AH were verified prior to study start (BL), immediately after index consultation (IC), and at follow-up after 6 months (FU). Prescription in patients at high risk (>15% risk of a cardiovascular event in 10 years, based on the Framingham equation) and no prescription in low-risk patients (≤ 15%) were considered appropriate.
Results:
An intervention effect on prescribing could only be found for IPA. Generally, changes in prescription over time were all directed towards higher prescription rates and persisted to FU, independent of risk status and group allocation.
Conclusions:
The active implementation of a brief evidence-based educational intervention on global risk in CVD did not lead directly to risk-adjusted changes in prescription. Investigations on an extended time scale would capture whether decision support of this kind would improve prescribing risk-adjusted sustainably.
Related Concept Videos
Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures
Preventive Healthcare Services
Coronary Artery Disease V: Interprofessional Care
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
Peripheral Artery Disease III: Interprofessional Care
Factors affecting Blood pressure
Physiological Factors: