Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Utilizing Clinical Content, Education, and Teamwork for Better Health Outcomes.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a crucial factor that healthcare plans need to consider. Payers have been increasingly focusing on CVD, with measures such as controlling high blood pressure linked to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores, which evaluate the quality of payers, especially Medicare plans.

The report emphasizes the importance of identifying risks that can lead to CVD comorbidities, such as tobacco use and unhealthy diets linking to hypertension and diabetes. It highlights that many patients do not receive a timely diagnosis of diabetes, often delaying until after they experience a cardiac event.

Healthcare providers can benefit from providing updated clinical content at the point of care, which helps them stay focused on the patient and reduces time spent searching for answers. Consistent care and clinical information resources across the healthcare system are essential for a system-wide approach.

Treating patients as part of the care team is encouraged, along with shared decision-making to help deliver high-quality care. Urban added that impactful patient education across all demographics is crucial for healthcare providers combating CVD, as it can lead to better outcomes.

The UpToDate Point of Care report series offers insights for healthcare leaders on transforming care, unifying teams, and driving better outcomes for patients and healthcare organizations. The report stresses the importance of supporting clinical decisions based on current evidence in order to provide appropriate treatment that is high quality, safe for patients, and cost-effective. Many healthcare professionals benefit from evidence-based knowledge provided by resources like UpToDate, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians.