Clinical Reminders in Test Reports to Improve Guideline Compliance
Information source: Department of Veterans Affairs
Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on March 21, 2008
Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Condition(s) targeted: Heart Failure, Congestive
Intervention: Clinical Reminder (Behavioral)
Phase: N/A
Status: Completed
Sponsored by: Department of Veterans Affairs Official(s) and/or principal investigator(s):
Paul A. Heidenreich, MD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: VA Palo Alto Health Care System
Summary
Although beta-blockers are known to prolong survival for patients with reduced left
ventricular ejection fraction, their use in the community and the VA is suboptimal.
Clinical Details
Official title: Clinical Reminders in Test Reports to Improve Guideline Compliance
Study design: Other, Randomized, Open Label, Placebo Control, Parallel Assignment, Efficacy Study
Primary outcome: Prescription for any beta-blocker
Secondary outcome: Prescription for carvedilol or metoprolol succinate
Detailed description:
Background:
Although beta-blockers are known to prolong survival for patients with reduced left
ventricular ejection fraction, their use in the community and the VA is suboptimal.
Objectives:
To determine if a reminder attached to the echocardiography report would increase the use of
beta-blockers among patients with depressed left ventricular function.
Methods:
We are randomizing consecutive patients undergoing echocardiography at one of three VA
echocardiography laboratories with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (less than 40%)
and no echocardiographic contraindication to beta-blockers (e. g. aortic stenosis) to a
reminder for use of beta-blockers or to no reminder. The reminder gives starting doses for
two commonly used beta-blockers (carvedilol and metoprolol). Patients are excluded from the
analysis if they leave the health care system or die within three months of randomization.
The primary outcome is a prescription for a beta-blocker between three and nine months
following echocardiography
Status:
The project is complete.
Eligibility
Minimum age: 18 Years.
Maximum age: N/A.
Gender(s): Both.
Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:
Those undergoing echocardiography at one of the participating laboratories with an ejection
fraction less than 45%.
Exclusion Criteria:
aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis
Locations and Contacts
VA Palo Alto Health Care System HSR&D COE, Palo Alto, California 94304-1207, United States
Additional Information
Starting date: May 2001
Ending date: June 2006
Last updated: November 7, 2007
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