The impact of CVD is also critical for health plans. Payers have focused on CVD with increased measures – such as controlling high blood pressure – tied to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores which evaluate the quality of payers, particularly Medicare plans.
The report also addresses:
- The need to identify risks that lead to CVD comorbidities including tobacco use and unhealthy diets that can be linked to hypertension and diabetes. The report highlights that many patients don’t receive a timely diagnosis of diabetes, often delayed until after they have a cardiac event.
- The importance of providing updated clinical content at the point of care to help providers keep the focus on the patient and lessen time searching for answers.
- How consistent care and clinical information resources across the healthcare system support a system-wide approach.
- Treating the patient as part of the care team and encouraging shared decision making to help deliver high-quality care.
“Impactful patient education across all patient demographics is critical to healthcare providers battling CVD,” added Urban. “Holistic education that meets the patient where they are and provides, engaging, evidence-based content can lead to better outcomes.”
The UpToDate® Point of Care report series provides insights for healthcare leaders on transforming care, unifying teams, and driving better outcomes for patients and healthcare organizations. The support of clinical decisions based on current evidence as a prerequisite for appropriate treatment in terms of quality, patient safety and cost-effectiveness is also discussed. In fact, numerous professional groups in healthcare benefit from the evidence-based knowledge provided by resources such as UpToDate, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians.
