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CVDPMI: Comprehensive Vascular Disease Prevention and Management Initiative

About CVDPMI

Improving the Flow to Vascular Health

CVDPMI is a collaborative program created to find individuals at risk of Canada’s number one cause of preventable death: vascular disease. It is a program dedicated to education and informing patients about the risk factors of the disease, as well as its early detection, prevention, management and treatment.

CVDPMI is a joint health initiative between local and provincial health organizations and services who have come together to detect, prevent and manage vascular disease.

CVDPMI represents a unique innovation in the delivery of health care and breaks beyond the barriers of previous vascular health treatment. Created in Peterborough, Ontario, it is a joint initiative including many of Peterborough’s family physicians, allied health professionals, registered nurses, cardiologists and nephrologists, working in collaboration to implement a proactive and preventative approach to the disease.

Designed to integrate and streamline the identification of at-risk individuals, CVDPMI is managed primarily by specially trained and experienced registered nurses, and further supported by family physicians, specialists, pharmacists, registered dieticians and allied health professionals.

CVDPMI is set to change the manner in which vascular disease is identified and treated in patients across the health care system and the program is entirely consistent with the vision and recommendations of the Canadian Heart Health Strategy Action Plan.

CVDPMI has been created to be a completely transferable model that will enable any interested community, both provincially and nationally, to introduce this program.

How is this any different than usual care?

Physicians and Family Health Teams are already providing guidelines based care for “help seeking” patients. These patients are defined as taking a proactive approach to their health care, such as scheduling annual check-ups or contacting their primary care provider if they feel unwell or have symptoms of an illness.

Patients are often unaware of vascular disease until advanced and often life altering and potentially threatening symptoms occur.

As vascular disease is asymptomatic until a crisis occurs, CVDPMI targets ‘non help seeking’ patients using EMR (electronic medical record) technology to identify those at risk.

What is Vascular Disease

Vascular Disease is the number one cause of preventable death in Canada. Often we think of vascular disease as a heart problem, but it includes many illnesses such as stroke, heart attack, chronic kidney disease, aneurysm, diabetes, vascular dementia, mini-stroke, angina, and conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Vascular Disease is the abnormal structure or function (including blockages, clogging or hardening) of the arteries that supply blood to all parts of the body. It can manifest anywhere in the body at any time.

Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can aggravate all vascular diseases. Their detection and proper management leads to improved vascular health.

Vascular disease can be particularly dangerous because there are seldom any warning symptoms. Often people don’t realize they have it until an event like a heart attack or stroke occurs, which is why it is important to consult a doctor – especially if you’re at risk.

Risk factors include :

Age
Family History
Smoking
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Overweight
Excessive alcohol intake
Inactive lifestyle
Stress
Diet low in fruits, vegetables, fibre
People who don’t have regular medical check-ups

Vascular disease is preventable, and once detected, can be managed and treated, making it even more important to know the risk factors and talk to a doctor.

Implement CVDPMI in Your Community

CVDPMI can be easily implemented in any community due to the development of a Clinical Manual including guidelines-based decision support that incorporates algorithms, protocols and directives and an Operations Manual that will document the resources that support the program transference to interested communities, FHTs, LHINs, etc. As well, an Implementation Toolkit has been developed that will provide all communications tools and templates necessary for patient and provider engagement. For more information please contact info@cvdpmi.ca.