Electronic clinical decision support tool for the evaluation of cardiovascular risk in general practice: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death in Australia. Electronic medical record (EMR)-based clinical decision support (CDS) tools have the potential to support absolute CVD risk (ACVDR) evaluation and management. The objective of this study was to test the acceptability and feasibility of the Treat to Target CVD (T3CVD), an EMR-based CDS tool, for the evaluation of ACVDR in general practice.

METHODS: Five general practitioners (GPs) piloted the T3CVD tool in their clinic. Interviews with the clinicians explored the acceptability and feasibility of the T3CVD tool.

RESULTS: The T3CVD tool was acceptable and, in the small pilot, was shown to have the capacity to support GPs in ACVDR assessment and management, and to encourage patient participation and motivation. Technical and structural factors important to ensure feasibility of the tool were identified.

DISCUSSION: With further development, the T3CVD tool has the potential to improve ACVDR assessment and management in primary care.