Peripheral arterial disease: application of the chronic care model.

Management of chronic diseases is one of the greatest challenges facing health care professionals globally. With the aging population increasing worldwide, the number of patients afflicted with chronic diseases will increase. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a common, chronic atherosclerotic vascular disease that is associated with a high risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death. The objective of this study was to determine if a multidisciplinary Vascular Risk Management Clinic (VRMC) would improve risk factor management and health outcomes for patients with PAD with poorly-controlled risk factors. A multidisciplinary VRMC was established utilizing a novel application of the Chronic Care Model to meet the needs of PAD patients. Interventions included optimization of medical therapy, investigations for undiagnosed atherosclerosis in other vascular distributions, smoking cessation therapy, dietary assessment and counseling, and active involvement of patients in evaluating progress towards their risk factor target goals. Assessment of risk factor control was done at each clinic visit and included measures of symptom severity, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (FBS), lipid profile, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status. Analysis of risk factors was performed for the first 103 patients followed in the clinic. Average follow-up time was 528 days, and statistically significant improvements were seen in blood pressure, LDL, HDL, total cholesterol (TC), and TC/HDL ratio, while BMI, FBS, and triglycerides remained stable. Participation in a specialized vascular risk management clinic resulted in significant improvement in risk factors for disease progression compared to baseline status.