Defining quality indicators for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in primary care, extractable from the...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Primary Care Quality Improvement

Background:

• Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) represent a significant global health burden, accounting for 85% of all cardiovascular diseases.
• General practitioners are pivotal in managing ASCVD, with potential for improved care through audit and feedback (A&F).
• Electronic health records (EHRs) offer a data source for quality indicators (QIs) to drive A&F in primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define a validated set of QIs for ASCVD management.
• To ensure these QIs are extractable from general practitioner EHRs.
• To facilitate A&F initiatives aimed at enhancing ASCVD care in primary care.

Main Methods:

• A RAND-modified Delphi method was utilized to develop the QIs.
• Recommendations were sourced from international guidelines, evaluated using AGREE II, and assessed by a multidisciplinary expert panel.
• Consensus meetings and Likert scale scoring were employed for validation and classification of potential QIs.

Main Results:

• A total of 92 recommendations were initially evaluated, leading to 50 high-potential candidates.
• Following a consensus meeting, recommendations were refined into 41 final QIs.
• The 41 QIs are categorized into follow-up (4), pharmacological treatment (22), patient education (10), and referral (5).

Conclusions:

• A validated set of 41 EHR-extractable QIs for ASCVD has been established for primary care.
• These QIs provide a foundation for implementing audit and feedback (A&F) programs.
• The defined QIs aim to improve the quality of ASCVD care delivered in primary care settings.