Increasing statin prescription rates to prevent cardiovascular disease among high-risk populations: a quality improvement intervention centred on a novel interactive tool.

Statins are indicated for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Our previous study of 1042 consecutive patient encounters at our large urban academic institution found that one in five patients were not prescribed an appropriate statin therapy. Only one-third of patients had follow-up cholesterol levels ordered to monitor treatment efficacy. In order to improve adherence to cholesterol guidelines at our institution, a quality improvement project was undertaken. We implemented interventions over a 4-month period to improve statin prescription rates: (a) development of an online interactive tool, (b) physician education on updated cholesterol guidelines and utilisation of the tool, (c) display of guideline summary in the workspace and (d) a documentation reminder in the electronic health record. We randomly selected encounter dates, from which 622 consecutive patient encounters were analysed. The primary outcome measures were prescription rates of statins, documentation of a 10-year ASCVD risk score and follow-up cholesterol levels ordered to monitor treatment efficacy. Out of the 622 patient encounters, 232 met statin indication. In this post-intervention group, statin prescription rates improved when compared with the pre-intervention group (90.5% vs 82.3%, p=0.006). Among patients who met statin indication solely via a 10-year ASCVD risk score ≥7.5%, there was an increase in documentation of the calculated 10-year ASCVD risk score (72.3% vs 57.8%; p=0.039) and in statin prescription rate (90.8% vs 67.6%; p<0.001). In addition, there was an increase in follow-up cholesterol levels ordered in all patients included in our study who met statin indication (64.1% vs 33.3%; p<0.001). Our quality improvement project showed higher rates of statin prescription, 10-year ASCVD risk score documentation and treatment monitoring after multiple interventions, centred on an easily accessible online interactive tool.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Is Associated With Improved Outcomes and Reduced Racial and Ethnic Disparities After Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis With Propensity-Score Matching.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol implementation was associated with improved outcomes and decreased racial and ethnic outcome disparities after isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of an institutional CABG database with propensity-score matching. SETTING: At a single tertiary care teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred thirty-five patients undergoing isolated CABG: 656 patients from 2016 to 2017 (pre-ERAS) and 1,079 patients from 2018 to 2020 (post-ERAS). Each patient cohort was divided into a White subgroup and a racial and ethnic minorities (Minorities) subgroup. INTERVENTIONS: None MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Propensity-matched post-ERAS patients (n = 584) compared to pre-ERAS patients (n = 584) demonstrated reductions in total length of stay (LOS) (median [interquartile range]): (7 [5-10] v 8 [6-11.5] days, p = .006), postoperative LOS (5 [4-7] v 5 [4-7] days, p = .001), total ventilation time (6.1 [4.8-9.5] v 6.6 [5.2-10.9] hours, p = .004), postoperative morphine milligram equivalents (mean ± standard deviation: 68.6 ± 57.5 v 100.0 ± 59.4, p < .001), and increased likelihood of early extubation (48.8% v 42.3%, p = .026); the Minorities subgroup demonstrated reductions in likelihood of intensive care unit (ICU) readmission (1.3% v 8.1%, p = .012) and postoperative morphine milligram equivalents (73.6 ± 64.0 v 107.8 ± 71.9, p < .001). Logistic regression models demonstrated that disparities in ICU readmission and postoperative LOS between White and Minorities patients were eliminated post-ERAS. CONCLUSIONS: ERAS for isolated CABG surgery was associated with reduced total and postoperative LOS, reduced total ventilation time, and increased early extubation for all patients, as well as reduced ICU readmission for the Minorities subgroup. ERAS implementation was associated with reduced disparities between White and racial and ethnic minority patients for ICU readmission and postoperative LOS.

Factors Associated with Disparities in Appropriate Statin Therapy in an Outpatient Inner City Population.

Lipid-lowering therapies are essential for the primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The aim of this study is to identify discrepancies between cholesterol management guidelines and current practice with a focus on statin treatment in an underserved population based in a large single urban medical center. Among 1042 reviewed records, we identified 464 statin-eligible patients. Age was 61.0 ± 10.4 years and 53.9% were female. Most patients were black (47.2%), followed by Hispanic (45.7%) and white (5.0%). In total, 82.1% of patients were prescribed a statin. An appropriate statin was not prescribed in 32.4% of statin-eligible patients who qualified based only on a 10-year ASCVD risk of ≥7.5%. After adjustment for gender and health insurance status, appropriate statin treatment was independently associated with age >55 years (OR = 4.59 (95% CI 1.09-16.66), p = 0.026), hypertension (OR = 2.38 (95% CI 1.29-4.38), p = 0.005) and chronic kidney disease (OR = 3.95 (95% CI 1.42-14.30), p = 0.017). Factors independently associated with statin undertreatment were black race (OR = 0.42 (95% CI 0.23-0.77), p = 0.005) and statin-eligibility based solely on an elevated 10-year ASCVD risk (OR = 0.14 (95% CI 0.07-0.25), p < 0.001). Hispanic patients were more likely to be on appropriate statin therapy when compared to black patients (86.8% vs. 77.2%). Statin underprescription is seen in approximately one out of five eligible patients and is independently associated with black race, younger age, fewer comorbidities and eligibility via 10-year ASCVD risk only. Hispanic patients are more likely to be on appropriate statin therapy compared to black patients.