Process improvements and shared medical appointments for cardiovascular disease prevention in women.

Problem: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is clinically unique in women and is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Chronic diseases account for 75% of healthcare expenditures in the United States, of which 70% are preventable through lifestyle changes and active medical management. Lifestyle modification is difficult in the context of the traditional medical visit.

Design: The Club Red Clinic uses a novel approach to enhance the care of women at risk for or with CVD. Through shared medical appointments (SMAs) and a multidisciplinary team approach, Club Red provides lifestyle training in addition to evidence-based practice to reduce CVD risk factors in women. In Club Red, nurse practitioners function independently and effectively in delivering lifestyle intervention for the management and prevention of CVD.

Setting: The clinic functions within an academic medical school at the University of Virginia.

Key Measures For Improvement: Patient access, patient satisfaction, provider efficiency, and frequency of cardiovascular visits.

Effects Of Change: Process improvements include reduced appointment wait times, improved provider efficiency (more patients seen with the SMAs), high patient satisfaction (96%), and improved adherence to recommended medical monitoring (3.8 visits/year).

Lessons Learned: Club Red improved patient access, patient satisfaction, medical and behavioral management, and health promotion education for women with or at risk for CVD.