Dyslipidemia treatment guidelines and management systems in Kaiser Permanente

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, Although risk factors contributing to the development of this disease are well known and effective interventions exist, the majority of patients eligible for pharmacotherapy are inadequately treated or not treated at all. Multiple factors contribute to this treatment gap, With respect to dyslipidemia, 2 of the major challenges facing healthcare organizations are: (1) how to ensure continued monitoring and medication adherence for patients with known atherosclerosis (secondary prevention); and (2) how to select the high-risk patients who will most benefit from treatment from the larger population of individuals who have not had a known coronary event (primary prevention), In Southern California Kaiser Permanente, 2 approaches being used to address these issues are dyslipidemia treatment guidelines and a computerized monitoring system, The guidelines stratify patients based on CAD risk and expected benefit from drug therapy. The computerized monitoring incorporates an ''expert system'' algorithm that facilitates patient selection in primary prevention and tracking to encourage patient compliance, This article describes these 2 approaches that attempt to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of dyslipidemia management, (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.