The American journal of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
A controlled trial of including symptom data in computer-based care suggestions for managing patients with chronic heart failure.
Heart failure is common and associated with considerable morbidity and cost, yet physician adherence to treatment guidelines is suboptimal. We conducted a randomized controlled study to determine if adding symptom information to evidence-based, computer-generated care suggestions would affect treatment decisions among primary care physicians caring for outpatients with heart failure at two Veterans Affairs medical centers. ⋯ Adding symptom information to computer-generated care suggestions for patients with heart failure did not affect physician treatment decisions or improve patient outcomes.