A Nudge Towards Cardiovascular Health: Applications of Behavioral Economics for Primary and Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention

Abstract

Despite robust development of effective behavioral and medical therapies in cardiovascular medicine, in many cases, patient and provider implementation of those therapies has been suboptimal. Ultimately, the implementation of those therapies relies upon one final common pathway: human behavior. Principles from the field of behavioral economics can be used to nudge patients and healthcare providers towards better healthcare decision-making. This review will focus on how the field of behavioral economics can inform the delivery of primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention interventions. Behavioral economics principles such as loss-framing, social norms, and choice architecture can be applied to successfully and sustainably change patient and provider behavior. These behavior changes can be potentiated by the use of electronic tools such as wearable activity trackers and electronic health records. Human behavior change is key to promotion of primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. As our understanding of how to apply principles from behavioral economics develops, and as we apply those principles in a more targeted way, they will become even more powerful tools to promote positive clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease.