Using e-health to improve cholesterol management in primary care practice.
While e-health tools have been designed for patient/consumer empowerment and for decision support focusing on healthcare providers, they have had only modest success in primary care settings. Creating complementary e-health tools that provide patient activation and decision support for a common clinical problem such as hyperlipidemia using a behaviorally oriented risk communication strategy has not been previously described. This paper presents the details regarding the development of two complementary software programs: HeartAge, an interactive risk communication program focusing on patient activation placed on a laptop computer in the doctor's waiting room, and a PDA-based, clinical decision support program for lipid management utilizing algorithms recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program. The efficacy of these programs in improving cholesterol management in five primary care practices is described.
Eaton
Charles B
CB
Center for Primary Care and Prevention, Memorial Hospital of RI, 111 Brewster Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860, USA. charles_eaton@mhri.org
Parker
Donna R
DR
Craft
Jason
J
McMurray
Jerome
J
Roberts
Mary B
MB
Borkan
Jeffrey
J
Goldman
Roberta E
RE
Ahern
David K
DK
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010821:Physicians, Family; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents