Limiting cardiovascular risk in Irish rheumatoid arthritis patients

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.