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Editorial in Circulation urges action to increase use of proven therapies
The Aug. 10 issue of the journal Circulation includes an editorial by CHP/PCOR fellow Mark A. Hlatky on "Underuse of Evidence-Based Therapies." The editorial comments on a University of Colorado study which found that 32 percent of elderly people with heart failure who could benefit from ACE inhibitors were discharged from the hospital without prescriptions for the medications. Hlatky writes that "evidence from clinical trials, by itself, will only go so far in changing clinical practice." He asserts that "additional, specific measures" are needed to increase physicians' adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines, and describes several such measures, including clinical reminder systems, critical pathways, and multidisciplinary care teams. Hlatky's editorial is referenced in a WebMD online article discussing the study findings.
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