Preventive Care for Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Preventive care and patients' health behaviors cah have dramatic impacts on the course of coronary heart disease (CHD). Although the importance of preventive care is accepted by most health care providers, studies consistently indicate that the delivery of these services is frequently inadequate. This article reviews the literature on the development of strategies to provide preventive care. Its aim is to shed light on potential methods for improving preventive service delivery to patients with CHD. The thesis is that through greater attention to the role of information technology and creative strategies for improving patient outreach, barriers that have been encountered in the provision of preventive care may be surmountable. In particular, recent advances involving computer systems to remind clinicians to perform preventive procedures and more aggressive telephone contact with patients between ambulatory care visits may improve the care of patients with CHD. Future work is needed to refine these strategies and to identify the types of CHD patients who are most likely to benefit from receiving them.