Background: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to test the feasibility of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel I Guidelines (ATPI) in physician office practices.
Methods: Twenty-two physician practices in communities from western Pennsylvania and West Virginia were recruited. Using a patient tracking system, 9,171 patients were assessed for cholesterol screening and treatment by their physicians according to the ATPI guidelines.
Results: Cholesterol screening was ordered for 1,698 patients or 19% of the population visiting the physician offices. The reasons for not screening included the patient was already under therapy (2,371), screened within the past 5 years (1,714), or acutely ill at the time of the visit (1,691). The frequency of patient refusal for screening was low (444). However, the majority of patient diagnoses were based on a single lipid measurement, and only 817 or 56% of patients evaluated had lipoprotein measures obtained prior to treatment. Follow-up measurement was not performed according to the ATPI schedule, and the magnitude of cholesterol response was inversely related to time to first follow-up measurement.
Conclusions: Many patients in these physician practices had initial cholesterol screening. However, repeat measurements as recommended for initial evaluation were not performed routinely, nor were most patients followed within the recommended 3-month time period. This lack of follow-up is detrimental to effective, long-term patient management since the magnitude of the cholesterol response is related to time of the first follow-up measurement.