title: How accurately do primary health care professionals use cardiovascular risk tables in the management of hypertension?
abstract: It has been suggested that use of cardiovascular risk tables in hypertensive patients might improve clinical management. As part of a randomised controlled trial, we evaluated the accuracy of health professionals' use of the New Zealand risk tables in primary care consultations. Chance-corrected agreement between health professionals' assessments of absolute risk was only moderate (weighted kappa = 0.56 at the 12-month follow-up). Inaccurate use of cardiovascular risk tables may be a barrier to effective implementation of research evidence in the management of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fahey
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors