Factors Promoting Clinical Inertia in Caring for Patients with Dyslipidemia: A Consensual Study Among Clinicians who Provide Healthcare to Patients with Dyslipidemia

Abstract

BackgroundDyslipidemia is among the most significant risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Many patients with dyslipidemia fail to meet certain therapeutic targets as a result of clinical inertia. AimsTo explore the views and opinions of physicians who often see and provide healthcare to patients with dyslipidemia on clinical inertia and to achieve consensus on the factors they believed promote clinical inertia in the Palestinian clinical practice. MethodsThis study was conducted in an observational design using the Delphi technique as a formal consensus method. A panel of fifty physicians participated this study. A two Delphi rounds were followed to achieve consensus on a list of factors they believed promoted clinical inertia. ResultsThe majority (86%) of the panelists believed that clinical inertia was prevalent in caring for patients with dyslipidemia. Of the 40 factors initially included in the questionnaire, consensus was achieved on 21 (52.5%) factors related to the physician, 10 (25.0%) factors related to the patient, and 5 (12.5%) factors related to the office and healthcare system as promoters of clinical inertia in the first and second Delphi rounds. DiscussionThis study highlights factors promoting clinical inertia in managing dyslipidemia from the views of physicians who often provide healthcare to patients with dyslipidemia. ConclusionConsensus was achieved on factors related to the physician, patient, and healthcare system that promote clinical inertia in caring for patients with dyslipidemia in the Palestinian clinical practice by a panel of physicians who often provide healthcare to those patients. Further studies are still needed to design strategies to eliminate or reduce the phenomenon of clinical inertia in caring for patients with dyslipidemia and improve patient outcomes.