Referring physicians' discordance with the primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator guidelines: a national survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society guidelines provide patient selection criteria for primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). For unknown reasons, guideline-discordant practice is common.

Objective

To determine referring physicians' concordance with the primary prevention ICD guidelines.

Methods

We mailed a survey regarding ICD guidelines and individual practice characteristics to a random national sample of 3000 physicians selected from the American Medical Association Masterfile-one-third each specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, and general cardiology.

Results

Sixty-four percent with correct contact information responded. Three hundred ninety-fiv

SUBMITTER: Castellanos JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3355218 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature