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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Apr 30:16:77.
doi: 10.1186/s12872-016-0252-0.

Implementation of a new guideline in cardiovascular secondary preventive care: subanalysis of a randomized controlled trial

Stina Jakobsson  1   2 , Daniel Huber  3 , Fredrik Björklund  3 , Thomas Mooe  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Implementation of a new guideline in cardiovascular secondary preventive care: subanalysis of a randomized controlled trial

Stina Jakobsson et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular secondary preventive recommendations are often not reached. We investigated whether a nurse-led telephone-based follow-up could improve the implementation of a new guideline within a year after its release.

Methods: In February 2013, a new secondary preventive guideline for diabetic patients was released in the county of Jämtland, Sweden. It included a changed of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target value from <2.5 mmol/L to <1.8 mmol/L. In the Nurse-Based Age-Independent Intervention to Limit Evolution of Disease (NAILED) trial, patients with an acute coronary syndrome, stroke, or transient ischemic attack were randomized to secondary preventive care with nurse-based telephone follow-up (intervention) or usual care (control). Patient data were obtained from the NAILED trial to study the implementation of the new LDL-C guideline by comparing telephone follow-up with usual care. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for continuous variables, and Person's χ (2) test was used for categorical variables to assess between-group differences.

Results: Out of the 1267 patients that entered the study period, 101 intervention and 100 control patients with diabetes fulfilled the inclusion criteria and completed the study period. Before the guideline change, 96 % of the intervention patients and 70 % of the control patients reached the target LDL-C value (p < 0.001). After the guideline change, the corresponding respective proportions were 65 % and 36 % (p < 0.001). The main reason that intervention patients did not achieve the target LDL-C value was that they received full-dose treatment; for control patients, the main reason was that medication was not adjusted, for an unknown reason.

Conclusions: One year after a change in the cardiovascular secondary preventive guideline, nurse-based telephone follow-up performed better than usual care to implement the new recommendation.

Trial registration: ISRCTN registry; ISRCTN96595458 (date of registration 10 July 2011) and ISRCTN23868518 (date of registration 13 May 2012).

Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Cardiovascular disease; Myocardial infarction; Randomized controlled trial; Secondary prevention; Stroke; Transient ischemic attack.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow chart. *If necessary, medication was titrated until target values were reached or until no further changes were considered reasonable. Jan, January; Feb, February; n, number of cases; Mar, March; DM, diabetes mellitus; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Proportion of patients that achieved the target LDL-C value before and after the guideline change. *The target value at the time being investigated. LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Reported reasons for not reaching the target LDL-C value. *No reason was reported for not performing any intervention
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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