title: Florida's response to the Physician's National Cholesterol Education Program.
abstract: To assess the impact of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines, the 7,347 primary care members of the Florida Medical Association received a confidential mailed questionnaire. A follow-up survey polling 5% of the nonresponders validated the initial observations. Of the 1,909 analyzed returns, 96% of the physicians' responses indicated that they believed cholesterol is an important factor in preventing atherosclerosis. However, responses to other questions were far less uniform. For example, 92% of general internists (n = 495) reported being aware of the NCEP guidelines versus 98% of cardiologists (n = 212) (p less than .01) and only 78.7% of OB/GYN specialists (n = 218) (p less than .0001). While 88.2% of general internists responded that the guidelines were relevant in treating their patients, 80.2% of OB/GYN physicians answered likewise (p less than .03). Moreover, only 54% of OB/GYN specialists reported routinely measuring serum cholesterol in their patients compared to 96.7% of general internists (p less than .0001). Most Florida primary care physicians are aware of the NCEP guidelines; however, the impact varies widely among practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Schocken
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Schocken
mesh_terms: D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002309:Cardiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005431:Florida; D006176:Gynecology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D009774:Obstetrics; D010372:Pediatrics; D010820:Physicians; D010821:Physicians, Family; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol