Robyn Whittaker from the University of Auckland and colleagues argue that information technology (IT)-based programs can improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) management and patient empowerment, but must be accompanied by supportive social and political environments and active patient and clinician engagement.
In an Essay in this week's PLoS Medicine the authors argue that despite good evidence for the effectiveness of CVD management, large gaps between what is known and what is actually done in health care remain. IT has the potential to support clinicians to close these gaps throughout processes of care delivery. For example, IT can be used to support identification of at-risk individuals, CVD risk assessment and management, care planning, patient self-management, and evaluation of improvements in care and health outcomes, say the authors.
But the authors emphasize the point that to achieve the potential of IT-based programmes, they require a supportive social and political environment, substantial organizational changes, and active patient and clinician engagement.
Funding: No specific funding was received for this article.
Competing Interests: SW has received funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the Heart Foundation of New Zealand for cardiovascular epidemiological research. SW is a member of the New Zealand Guidelines Group cardiovascular guideline update committee. SW has been involved in the development of two software programmes, PREDICT CVD-diabetes and Your Heart Forecast, that received part funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Health and the Heart Foundation of New Zealand, respectively. RW has been involved in the development of mobile phone-based health interventions for research purposes.
Citation: Wells S, Whittaker R, Dorey E, Bullen C (2010) Harnessing Health IT for Improved Cardiovascular Risk Management. PLoS Med 7(8): e1000313.doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000313
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CONTACT:
Robyn Whittaker
The University of Auckland
Clinical Trials Research Unit
Level 4, School of Population Health, Tamaki Campus
261 Morrin Road, Glen Innes
Auckland, 1072
New Zealand
+ (64) 9 3737599 ext 84766
+ (64) 9 373 1710 (fax)
r.whittaker@ctru.auckland.ac.nz
Journal
PLoS Medicine