Prevention continuum: an assessment of cardiovascular disease prevention based on the data from a survey of doctors

Abstract

Aim. To assess the awareness and engagement of health professionals in Russia in the main aspects of cardiovascular disease prevention.Material and methods. In order to assess engagement and awareness, an online survey of Russian primary health care providers was conducted in March 2021. The survey was conducted using original questionnaire, which includes the main questions aimed at early identification of patients with modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.Results. In case of newly diagnosed hypercholesterolemia and elevated blood pressure during screening, 91,8% (n=458) of the surveyed medical specialists record the results and immediately consult the patient on these issues. Similar responses was obtained by 93% (n=464) of doctors for patients with previously prescribed antihypertensive and/or lipid-lowering therapy. In addition, 46,5% (n=232) responded that during screening, 10-30% of patients had newly diagnosed hypertension and/or total cholesterol >5 mmol/L. A total of 28,9% (n=144) of respondents noted that 30-50% of patients with newly diagnosed hypertension and/or total cholesterol >5 mmol/L are detected at screening. It is noteworthy that 41,9% (n=209) of physicians devote 1 to 5 minutes to a patient, describing the changes in lifestyle, diet and physical activity. For 35,1% (n=175) of the respondents, this takes from 5 to 10 minutes, 22% (n=110) — >10 minutes, while ~5 respondents refer patients to another specialist for this purpose.Conclusion. The survey showed a high awareness of medical specialists in the need to monitor and modify risk factors. However, ~40% of surveyed doctors do not devote enough time to explaining issues of modifying lifestyle, diet and physical activity.