Task shifting of cardiovascular risk assessment and communication by nurses for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in a tertiary health care setting of Northern India

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India. CVDs are to a large extent preventable with the availability of wide range of interventions focusing on primary and secondary prevention. However human resource deficit is the biggest challenge for implementing these prevention programs. Task shifting of the cardiovascular risk assessment and communication to nurses can be one of the most viable and sustainable option to run prevention programs. METHODS: The study was quasi experimental in nature with 1 year follow up to determine the effect of CVD risk assessment and communication by nurses with the help of risk communication package on primary and secondary prevention of CVDs. The study was done in the outpatient departments of a tertiary health care center of Northern India. All the nurses (n = 16) working in selected OPDs were trained in CVD risk assessment and communication of risk to the patients. A total of 402 patients aged 40 years and above with hypertension (HTN) were recruited for primary prevention of CVDs from medicine and allied OPDs, whereas 500 patients who had undergone CABG/PTCA were recruited from cardiology OPDs for secondary prevention of CVDs and were randomized to intervention (n = 250) and comparison group (n = 250) by using block randomization. CVD risk modification and medication adherence were the outcomes of interest for primary and secondary prevention of CVDs respectively. RESULTS: The results revealed high level of agreement (k = 0.84) between the risk scores generated by nurses with that of investigator. In the primary prevention group, there were significantly higher proportion of participants in the low risk category (70%) as compared to baseline assessment (60.6%) at 1 year follow up. Whereas in secondary prevention group the mean medication adherence score among intervention group participants (7.60) was significantly higher than that of the comparison group (5.96) with a large effect size of 1.1.(p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Nurse led intervention was effective in risk modification and improving medication adherence among subjects for primary and secondary prevention of CVDs respectively. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration no CTRI/2018/01/011372 [Registered on: 16/01/2018] Trial Registered Retrospectively.