Key result
Heart to Heart decision aid personalizes CHD risk assessment and evaluates interventions using Framingham equations.
The Heart to Heart decision aid provides a computerized tool for personalized CHD risk assessment and modeling of primary prevention strategies.
May aid personalized CHD prevention counseling in practice; leaves open effects on adherence or outcomes.
Heart to Heart is a computer-based decision aid for patients and providers that provides personalized, evidence-based information about coronary heart disease (CHD) risk and potential risk-reducing interventions. To develop Heart to Heart, the authors used Framing-ham risk equations and systematic reviews of risk-reducing interventions. The Web version was programmed using PHP: Hypertext Processor, a Web-based programming language, and has separate interfaces for providers and patients. The authors subsequently developed a modified version for personal digital assistants. Heart to Heart uses information about a patient's CHD risk factors (age, gender, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking, systolic blood pressure, and left ventricular hypertrophy) to calculate risk of total CHD events over 5 or 10 years. Patients and providers can then examine the effect of introducing one or more risk-reducing interventions (aspirin, lipid-lowering drug therapy, antihypertensive medication, or smoking cessation) on the patient's CHD risk. Future research will be directed to determining whether Heart to Heart can improve utilization of effective CHD risk-reducing interventions.
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Pignone et al. (2004) studied Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Heart to Heart decision aid was evaluated. The Heart to Heart computer-based decision aid was developed using Framingham risk equations to provide personalized coronary heart disease risk assessment and evaluate risk-reducing interventions.