Why physicians favor use of percutaneous coronary intervention to medical therapy: a focus group study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is performed in many patients with stable coronary artery disease, despite evidence of little clinical benefit over optimal medical therapy.

Objective

To examine physicians' beliefs, practices, and decision-making regarding elective PCI.

Design

Six focus groups, three with primary care physicians and three with cardiologists. Participants discussed PCI using hypothetical case scenarios. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory, and commonly expressed themes regarding the decision-making pathway to PCI were identified.

Participants

Twenty-eight primary care physicians and 20 interventional and non-interventional cardiologists in Butte County, Orange County, and San Francisco Bay Area, California, in 2006

SUBMITTER: Lin GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2518034 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature