Reasons for primary care physicians to integrate cardiovascular health testing into their practices.
Whole-person health has become an increasing priority for primary care physicians. Taking care of a patient in this way includes early diagnosis of chronic illnesses and disease management. Cardiovascular diseases are one chronic illness that can be diagnosed early when physicians perform clinical diagnostic testing on a regular basis. As the leading cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization,1 it is important to test early and often for cardiovascular diseases.
Primary care physicians can impact the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases by performing effective and non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG) tests. ECGs can help physicians diagnose heart conditions including abnormal heart rhythms and coronary artery disease in a primary care setting.
In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.2 Cardiovascular disease is America’s costliest disease. And, by 2035, direct medical costs of cardiovascular diseases are projected to be at least $749 billion.3
In a recent Repertoire podcast interview, Brooke Griesdorn, Associate Marketing Manager at Midmark shared several reasons why ECG testing in primary care is important, including that as the U.S. population continues to age, the risks for cardiovascular disease and related deaths are expected to increase, along with the associated costs.4
“When you take into consideration all healthcare visits at all care sites nationally, patients are visiting primary care offices more than 50% of the time compared to other sites of care,5” Griesdorn said. “This means that the majority of office-based care visits are being made to a primary care physician, who likely is the provider that patients are seeing most often.”
Importance of ECG testing
Cardiovascular diseases often go unnoticed until it is too late. When primary care physicians provide their patients with a whole-person approach to care and perform necessary diagnostic tests, early diagnosis is possible.
“Primary care providers are in an ideal position to diagnose heart disease early, which can help to drive down costs and improve a patient’s quality of life,” according to Griesdorn.
As healthcare providers prepare for an aging patient population, they must also be prepared for cardiovascular disease management. The first line of defense against cardiovascular disease is ECG testing. The test results are available within a matter of seconds, and ECG testing can help rule out unnecessary treatment or additional testing if a patient’s symptoms aren’t related to cardiovascular disease.
Benefits of testing for management of chronic disease
The staggering statistics on cardiovascular diseases emphasize that everything that can be done should be done to test often and diagnose early.
The benefits of computer-based ECG testing within a primary healthcare setting include workflow efficiencies that enable staff to capture, review and edit test data all on one screen. Digital ECG workflows also allow data to be automatically imported into a patient’s electronic medical record (EMR), which helps to streamline the flow of data in the office. When cardiovascular data is integrated into the EMR, physicians can significantly reduce the steps required to capture, review and save patient tests. This eliminates the need for paper printouts and saves time due to the doctor’s ability to review ECG test results directly from their desk. When evaluating ECG results, electronic records are efficient and reduce transcription errors throughout the workday.
“If ECG testing is included in a primary care setting, physicians can positively impact clinical outcomes and create more favorable experiences for patients while also reducing the financial impact on their
organizations and their patients,” said Griesdorn. “This allows for increased staff productivity and satisfaction by standardizing workflows.”
Midmark and other clinical equipment providers offer clinical training and education services onsite and virtually so that providers know how to use the technology efficiently and effectively to get the intended results.
“Each of us have the opportunity and responsibility in our conversations with buying committees as well as care teams to positively impact a critical component in diagnostic care,” said Griesdorn. “So, for each patient that walks into the primary care setting, by making sure they have access and are being treated, the whole picture is getting looked at for them.”
Indeed, with cardiovascular health testing in place, primary care physicians will be able to educate their patients on preventive measures to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, improving outcomes in the process.
Editor’s note: Repertoire would like to thank Midmark for its assistance with this article.
Sources:
1. www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1
2. www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20someone,heart%20attack%20every%2040%20seconds.&text=Every%20year%2C%20about%20805%2C000%20people,States%20have%20a%20heart%20attack.&text=Of%20these%2C,are%20a%20first%20heart%20attack
3. www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
4. www.heart.org/-/media/Files/About-Us/Policy-Research/Fact-Sheets/Public-Health-Advocacy-and-Research/CVD-A-Costly-Burden-for-America-Projections-Through-2035.pdf
5. Impact of Change®, 2020; HCUP National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) 2016. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD; Proprietary Sg2 All-Payer Claims Data Set, 2018; The following 2018 CMS Limited Data Sets (LDS): Carrier, Denominator, Home Health Agency, Hospice, Outpatient, Skilled Nursing Facility, Claritas Pop-Facts®, 2020; Sg2 Analysis, 2020. Confidential and Proprietary © 2020 Sg2