Limiting cardiovascular risk in Irish rheumatoid arthritis patients |
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Authors: | N L Ambrose P O’Connell G Kearns |
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Institution: | (1) Rheumatology Department, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland |
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Abstract: | Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death.
Objectives Our aims were: (1) to assess how thoroughly RA patients were being screened for cardiovascular risk factors in our outpatient
population and (2) to evaluate the benefit of introducing a shared care cardiovascular booklet.
Methods We assessed 80 patients who attend our service with RA. Our initial audit revealed that 80% of patients had not been thoroughly
assessed for basic cardiovascular risk. Based on these findings, we created a shared care booklet.
Results On re-auditing our service, we found a significant improvement in the assessment of cardiovascular risks.
Conclusion There is currently a low level of screening for cardiovascular risks in busy outpatient clinics. We felt the introduction
of a shared care booklet allowed an increased level of screening in our clinics and also acted as a tool for doctor and patient
education. |
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Keywords: | Rheumatoid arthritis Cardiovascular risk Shared care booklet |
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