Team Up For Quality Care:: The Role of Primary Care Teams in Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease

Healthcare providers appreciate the value of evidence-based guidelines such as the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease (Guideline). In a busy clinical practice, however, many competing demands can create barriers to full implementation of these protocols. A solution is to embrace a newer model of practice that engages the interdisciplinary care team with all staff working at the top of their licensure/training. The care team approach is backed by strong evidence supporting improved patient outcomes, such as hypertension control. By appropriately sharing responsibilities, the practice delivers a unified health promotion message, and physicians are able to focus on the care requiring their medical expertise. When all staff members have clear roles and responsibilities, the practice can more easily implement the Guideline fully and work together to deliver high-quality, evidence-based primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.