Cardiologists' perception of risk of coronary revascularization procedures

Abstract

We sought to determine if differences exist between interventional and noninterventional cardiologists in the perception of risk of revascularization procedures and to compare the physicians' estimates with a computer-based predictor formula from a large regional database. We found that interventional cardiologists perceived greater risk of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty-related morbidity and mortality than noninterventionalists and that these differences were accentuated in female patients, the elderly, and the most seriously ill patients.