Adoption of the Healthy Heart Kit by Alberta family physicians.
OBJECTIVE
The Healthy Heart Kit (HHK) is a risk management and patient education kit for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the promotion of CV health. There are currently no published data examining predictors of HHK use by physicians. The main objective of this study was to examine the association between physicians' characteristics (socio-demographic, cognitive, and behavioural) and the use of the HHK.


METHODS
All registered family physicians in Alberta (n=3068) were invited to participate in the "Healthy Heart Kit" Study. Consenting physicians (n=153) received the Kit and were requested to use it for two months. At the end of this period, a questionnaire collected data on the frequency of Kit use by physicians, as well as socio-demographic, cognitive, and behavioural variables pertaining to the physicians.


RESULTS
The questionnaire was returned by 115 physicians (follow-up rate = 75%). On a scale ranging from 0 to 100, the mean score of Kit use was 61 [SD=26]. A multiple linear regression showed that "agreement with the Kit" and the degree of "confidence in using the Kit" was strongly associated with Kit use, explaining 46% of the variability for Kit use. Time since graduation was inversely associated with Kit use, and a trend was observed for smaller practices to be associated with lower use.


CONCLUSIONS
Given these findings, future research and practice should explore innovative strategies to gain initial agreement among physicians to employ such clinical tools. Participation of older physicians and solo-practitioners in this process should be emphasized.
Centre for Health Promotion Studies, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Raphaël
R
Bize
Ronald C
RC
Plotnikoff
Shannon D
SD
Scott
Nandini
N
Karunamuni
Wendy
W
Rodgers
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000416:Alberta; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006293:Health Promotion; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011634:Public Health; D040241:Social Marketing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires