HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Palmieri, J. Articles by Morita, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Palmieri, J. Articles by Morita, R.

JAMES PALMIERI, PHARM.D., is Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Cardiovascular Disease Management, Catholic Healthcare West—Greater Sacramento Area, Sacramento, CA, and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific (UP), Stockton, CA. SHANNON REDLINE, PHARM.D., is Pharmacy Manager, Safeway Pharmacy, Cameron Park, CA; at the time of writing she was a Pharm.D. degree candidate, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, UP. RICHARD MORITA, PHARM.D., is Clinical Education Consultant, Pfizer, Inc., Sacramento.

Address correspondence to Dr. Palmieri at jpalmieri{at}chw.edu.

Purpose. Changes in low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and rates of LDL-C goal attainment among dyslipidemic patients newly referred to a telephone-based hyperlipidemia disease management program were studied. Methods. The medical records of all patients referred to a hyperlipidemia disease management program between February 2002 and May 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included in the study if they were between 18 and 80 years of age, were under the continuous care of a physician during the data collection period, had a baseline LDL-C measurement within the year before program enrollment, and had been assigned to a treatment protocol (low- or high-risk primary prevention, secondary prevention, or diabetes). For each patient, the final cholesterol value after six months of enrollment or the first value at goal was used to evaluate response. Subjects were deemed to have reached their goal if an LDL-C value recorded within six months after enrollment corresponded to national guidelines for their assigned protocol. Results. Of 276 patients enrolled in the program, 205 were eligible for study. Forty-two patients (20.5%) were assigned to the secondary-prevention group, 69 (33.7%) to the diabetes group, 46 (22.4%) to the high-risk primary-prevention group, and 48 (23.4%) to the low-risk primary-prevention group. Overall LDL-C goals were attained by 76.2% of secondary-prevention patients, 56.5% of diabetes patients, 58.7% of high-risk primary-prevention patients, and 81.3% of low-risk primary-prevention patients. Conclusion. LDL-C goal-attainment rates increased in patients referred to a telephone-based hyperlipidemia management program. Index terms: Diabetes mellitus; Disease management; Hyperlipidemia; Interventions; Patient information; Telephone