title: Evaluation of the Heart Truth professional education campaign on provider knowledge of women and heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Heart Truth Professional Education Campaign was developed to facilitate education of health care providers in evidence-based strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of the 3-year campaign, lectures based on the American Heart Association's evidence-based guidelines for CVD prevention in women were presented by local speakers to healthcare providers and students in three high-risk states: Delaware, Ohio, and New York. Participants' responses to pretest and posttest questions about CVD in women are presented. We performed t-test and multivariable linear regression to assess the influence of provider characteristics on baseline knowledge and knowledge change after the lecture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2008 and 2011, 2,995 healthcare providers, students, and other participants completed the baseline assessment. Knowledge scores at baseline were highest for physicians, with obstetrician/gynecologists scoring lowest (63%) and cardiologists highest (76%). Nurses had intermediate total knowledge (56%) and students had the lowest total knowledge (49%) at baseline. Pre- and post-lecture assessments were completed by 1,893 (63%) of attendees. Scores were significantly higher after the educational lecture (p ≤ .001), with greater increase for those with lower baseline scores. Baseline knowledge of the use of statins, hormone therapy, and antioxidants, as well as approaches to smoking cessation and treatment of hypertension, differed by provider type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tailoring of lectures for non-physician audiences may be beneficial given differences in baseline knowledge. More emphasis is needed on statin use for all providers and on smoking cessation and treatment of hypertension for nurses, students, and other healthcare professionals.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research forWomen and Children, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware 19718, USA. dehrenthal@christianacare.org
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Ehrenthal
authors.forename: Suzanne G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Kristen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Jeanne A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hitch
authors.forename: Sonya Feinberg
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Addo
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: Ileana L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Piña
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Taubenheim
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Sloan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003691:Delaware; D004521:Educational Measurement; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D009820:Ohio; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires