Introduction: The 2018 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Multisociety blood cholesterol guidelines recommend clinicians consider adding non-statin therapy for patients with very high-risk (VHR) atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥ 70 mg/dl while receiving maximally tolerated statins. However, according to a recent study, only 17.1% of patients with established ASCVD received appropriate lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) intensification. Here, we describe the design of a prospective, 12-month study (LOGAN-CV) evaluating a multifaceted site-level intervention to enhance clinicians' adherence to guidelines to improve LDL-C levels for patients with VHR ASCVD.
Methods: Clinicians from up to ten research sites are eligible if they care for adult patients with ASCVD. Interventions include educational modules, a cloud-based performance platform providing clinicians a tailored summary of their LDL-C management performance, newsletters, periodic peer-to-peer calls, and pre- and post-intervention surveys evaluating knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs around LDL-C management, with additional interventions for clinicians demonstrating a lower readiness to make treatment decisions based on guideline recommendations. Patients with VHR ASCVD, defined as having recent myocardial infarction and LDL-C ≥ 70 mg/dl despite statin treatment, will be included in the study. Patient data will be collected from electronic medical records from baseline (clinician enrollment) through the 12-month intervention. The study started in October 2022, with anticipated completion in March 2024.
Planned outcomes: The change in proportion of patients with LDL-C < 70 mg/dl achieved at any time during the 12-month intervention (primary); LLT intensification, changes in guideline-aligned LDL-C testing and LLT titration over 12 months, and change in overall clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs are key outcomes of interest. The LOGAN-CV study addresses a critical unmet need in LDL-C control in patients with VHR ASCVD and evaluates the effect of a multifaceted intervention targeting clinicians to improve their adherence to guidelines and consequently improve clinical outcomes for patients.
Keywords: Educational intervention; Guidelines; Implementation science; LOGAN-CV; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
© 2023. The Author(s).