M. F. Matangi et al. / Open Journal of Preventive Medicine 3 (2013) 487-490
490
standing of CV risk assessment. Additionally, we believe
simple technology should play an important role in the
assessment and implementation of CV risk in primary
care. The use of electronic medical records (EMR) has
been increasing in Ontario [9], and an electronic version
of the CV risk assessment should be an integral part of
any EMR. This would permit a streamlined and stan-
dardized method of efficiently identifying patients whose
quality for risk assessment, as well as any necessary
blood work and imaging may be required for a com-
plete risk assessment.
5. STUDY LIMITATIONS
Our survey was an awareness and use survey, and we
did not assess either the knowledge or ability to imple-
ment the various CV risk scores.
The overall response rate to our survey was low (25%).
The response rate to FAX alone was excellent at 51%.
The letter response rate was very low at 13%. We believe
that the family physicians who responded represent the
motivated and are more likely to be committed to CV
risk assessment than those who did not respond.
6. CONCLUSION
Cardiovascular risk assessment in primary care in
southeastern Ontario is clearly being under-estimated. If
we are to reduce the burden of CV disease additional
strategies which are required. One strategy should in-
volve in a more active role of the EMR and the use of
email to alerting the family physician. Such a strategy
would lead to a more extensive use of evidenced based
lipid management.
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank the physicians who responded to the question-
naire.
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