Primary care providers ’ awareness, knowledge, and practice with regard to cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

This study is a cross-sectional survey with the purpose of evaluating primary care providers ’ awareness, practice patterns, and satisfaction with continuing medical education on cardiovascular risk in patients with RA. Our study showed that 71% of clinicians felt that the CME on RA patient management regarding CV risk factors is inadequate. Only 37% of providers reported feeling well pre pared to manage CV risk for RA patients. Only 15% of participants were actively initiating a discussion regarding CV risk with RA patients. A better understanding of the educational needs and practice patterns of primary care providers may warrant the development of strategies for cardiovascular ris k management in patients with RA.Key Points•There is a need for increased physician awareness of RA as a novel risk factor for CAD as well as the importance of managing this risk.•Our findings demonstrate a lack of physician satisfaction with current continuing medical education on cardiovascular risk and its management in patients with RA.•The impact of low-dose aspirin on cardiovascular risk in individuals with RA is ill-defined. As a result, low-dose aspirin is underutilized in this population.
Source: Clinical Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research