title: Survey of physicians' practices in the control of cardiovascular risk factors: the EURIKA study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the practices of physicians in 12 European countries in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2009, 806 physicians from 12 European countries answered a questionnaire, delivered electronically or by post, regarding their assessment of patients with cardiovascular risk factors, and their use of risk calculation tools and clinical practice guidelines (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00882336). Approximately 60 physicians per country were selected (participation rate varied between 3.1% in Sweden and 22.8% in Turkey).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among participating physicians, 85.2% reported using at least one clinical guideline for CVD prevention. The most popular were the ESC guidelines (55.1%). Reasons for not using guidelines included: the wide choice available (47.1%), time constraints (33.3%), lack of awareness of guidelines (27.5%), and perception that guidelines are unrealistic (23.5%). Among all physicians, 68.5% reported using global risk calculation tools. Written charts were the preferred method (69.4%) and the most commonly used was the SCORE equation (35.4%). Reasons for not using equations included time constraints (59.8%), not being convinced of their usefulness (21.7%) and lack of awareness (19.7%). Most physicians (70.8%) believed that global risk-equations have limitations; 89.8% that equations overlook important risk factors, and 66.5% that they could not be used in elderly patients. Only 46.4% of physicians stated that their local healthcare framework was sufficient for primary prevention of CVD, while 67.2% stated that it was sufficient for secondary prevention of CVD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high proportion of physicians reported using clinical guidelines for primary CVD prevention. However, time constraints, lack of perceived usefulness and inadequate knowledge were common reasons for not using CVD prevention guidelines or global CVD risk assessment tools.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Epidemiologie et Santé Publique, Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U744, Univ Lille Nord de France, 1 rue du Pr Calmette, Lille Cedex, France. jean.dallongeville@pasteur-lille.fr
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dallongeville
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Banegas
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tubach
authors.forename: Eliseo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guallar
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Backer
authors.forename: Julian P J
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Halcox
authors.forename: Elvira L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Massó-González
authors.forename: Joep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perk
authors.forename: Ogün
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sazova
authors.forename: Philippe Gabriel
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Steg
authors.forename: Fernando Rodriguez
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Artalejo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001364:Awareness; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017748:Time Management; D016526:Workload