Community Guide Recommends Clinical Decision-Support Systems for Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States,  resulting in over 800,000 deaths each year, or almost 1 in every 3 deaths.

To address this burden, the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends clinical decision-support systems (CDSS) for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Evidence shows CDSS interventions improve improve screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors and practices for related preventive care services, clinical tests, and treatments - three quality-of-care outcomes for provider practices

Clinical decision-support systems are computer-based information systems designed to assist healthcare providers in implementing clinical guidelines at the point of care. CDSS designed to prevent cardiovascular disease include: reminders for overdue blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol screening; assessments of patients' risk; recommendations for evidence-based treatments; recommendations for health behavior changes (i.e. smoking, physical activity, and salt intake); alerts when indicators for cardiovascular disease risk factors are not at goal.

CDSS are often used within electronic health record systems and linked with knowledge management systems that provide access to scientific literature and strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Read more about this Task Force Recommendation.