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Process improvements and shared medical appointments for cardiovascular disease prevention in women
Lisa M Pastore1, Ann M Rossi, Amy L Tucker
1Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Insights
Club Red enhances cardiovascular disease (CVD) care for women through shared medical appointments and a multidisciplinary team. This approach improves patient access, satisfaction, and adherence to medical monitoring for CVD prevention and management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Women's Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant health concern for women, often underdiagnosed and undertreated.
- Chronic diseases, including CVD, represent a substantial portion of healthcare costs, with many being preventable through lifestyle changes.
- Traditional medical visits present challenges for effective lifestyle modification and chronic disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Club Red Clinic's novel approach in improving cardiovascular care for women.
- To assess the impact of shared medical appointments (SMAs) and a multidisciplinary team on CVD risk reduction in women.
- To determine the role of nurse practitioners in delivering lifestyle interventions for CVD management and prevention.
Main Methods:
- The Club Red Clinic utilizes shared medical appointments (SMAs) and a multidisciplinary team to deliver lifestyle training and evidence-based practice.
- Nurse practitioners independently manage and prevent CVD through lifestyle interventions within the clinic setting.
- The clinic operates within an academic medical school, focusing on improving patient access, satisfaction, provider efficiency, and visit frequency.
Main Results:
- Implementation of SMAs led to reduced appointment wait times and improved provider efficiency.
- High patient satisfaction was reported at 96%.
- Adherence to recommended medical monitoring improved, with an average of 3.8 visits per year.
Conclusions:
- The Club Red Clinic model successfully enhanced patient access, satisfaction, and adherence to medical and behavioral management for women at risk for or with CVD.
- Shared medical appointments and a multidisciplinary approach are effective strategies for improving cardiovascular health promotion and education in women.
- Independent nurse practitioner function is key to delivering effective lifestyle interventions for CVD prevention and management.
Problem:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is clinically unique in women and is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Chronic diseases account for 75% of healthcare expenditures in the United States, of which 70% are preventable through lifestyle changes and active medical management. Lifestyle modification is difficult in the context of the traditional medical visit.
Design:
The Club Red Clinic uses a novel approach to enhance the care of women at risk for or with CVD. Through shared medical appointments (SMAs) and a multidisciplinary team approach, Club Red provides lifestyle training in addition to evidence-based practice to reduce CVD risk factors in women. In Club Red, nurse practitioners function independently and effectively in delivering lifestyle intervention for the management and prevention of CVD.
Setting:
The clinic functions within an academic medical school at the University of Virginia.
Key Measures For Improvement:
Patient access, patient satisfaction, provider efficiency, and frequency of cardiovascular visits.
Effects Of Change:
Process improvements include reduced appointment wait times, improved provider efficiency (more patients seen with the SMAs), high patient satisfaction (96%), and improved adherence to recommended medical monitoring (3.8 visits/year).
Lessons Learned:
Club Red improved patient access, patient satisfaction, medical and behavioral management, and health promotion education for women with or at risk for CVD.
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