• Stephan R Lindner, Bijal Balasubramanian, Miguel Marino, K John McConnell, Thomas E Kottke, Samuel T Edwards, Sam Cykert, and Deborah J Cohen.
• From the Center for Health Systems Effectiveness, Oregon Health & Science University (SRL, KJM); OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SRL, MM, KJM); Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health in Dallas (BB); Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University (MM, STE, DJC); HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota (TEK); Section of General Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System (STE); The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill (DJC); Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University (DJC). lindners@ohsu.edu.
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2023 May 8; 36 (3): 462476462-476.

BackgroundThis study estimates reductions in 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk associated with EvidenceNOW, a multi-state initiative that sought to improve cardiovascular preventive care in the form of (A)spirin prescribing for high-risk patients, (B)lood pressure control for people with hypertension, (C)holesterol management, and (S)moking screening and cessation counseling (ABCS) among small primary care practices by providing supportive interventions such as practice facilitation.DesignWe conducted an analytic modeling study that combined (1) data from 1,278 EvidenceNOW practices collected 2015 to 2017; (2) patient-level information of individuals ages 40 to 79 years who participated in the 2015 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 1,295); and (3) 10-year ASCVD risk prediction equations.MeasuresThe primary outcome measure was 10-year ASCVD risk.ResultsEvidenceNOW practices cared for an estimated 4 million patients ages 40 to 79 who might benefit from ABCS interventions. The average 10-year ASCVD risk of these patients before intervention was 10.11%. Improvements in ABCS due to EvidenceNOW reduced their 10-year ASCVD risk to 10.03% (absolute risk reduction: -0.08, P ≤ .001). This risk reduction would prevent 3,169 ASCVD events over 10 years and avoid $150 million in 90-day direct medical costs.ConclusionSmall preventive care improvements and associated reductions in absolute ASCVD risk levels can lead to meaningful life-saving benefits at the population level.© Copyright by the American Board of Family Medicine.

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