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Physician reaction to a local community cholesterol screening program.
W G Buchta1, R A Wissell, R C Bagley
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Archives of Internal Medicine
|November 1, 1989
Summary
Community cholesterol screening is supported by most primary care physicians, who are prepared to manage referrals. The program successfully identified hypercholesterolemia cases, indicating physician readiness for public health initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Primary Care
Background:
- National guidelines recommend cholesterol screening.
- Physician readiness for mass referrals is a key concern.
- Community-based screening programs require primary care physician involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess primary care physician awareness and readiness for community cholesterol screening.
- To evaluate physician response to patient referrals from a mass screening event.
- To gauge physician attitudes towards community-wide cholesterol screening initiatives.
Main Methods:
- A city-wide cholesterol screening of 11,680 individuals was conducted.
- 3069 individuals (26.3%) were referred to primary care physicians.
- A 76% response rate was achieved from 76 surveyed physicians via mail questionnaire.
Main Results:
- 79% of physicians were aware of the screening program.
- 40% diagnosed hypercholesterolemia based on screening referrals.
- 71% approved of community cholesterol screening; only one felt overwhelmed by referrals.
Conclusions:
- Most primary care physicians support community cholesterol screening as a public health strategy.
- Physicians are generally prepared to manage referrals from mass cholesterol screening programs.
- Screening data effectively initiates diagnosis and management of hypercholesterolemia.