Improving Lipid Optimization Quality and Treatment Options in ASCVD

Medication initiations and titrations are based on an established drug-treatment algorithm that utilizes a statutory-defined Collaborative Drug Therapy Management Agreement (CDTM) approved by the BWH Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee to initiate and titrate lipid-lowering medications. Scenarios outside the prescribed medication algorithm are routed to the supervising physician, and changes are signed off by a pharmacist and communicated to the patient and care team by a patient navigator under the supervision of physicians. After each change in medication, re-assessment and lab monitoring are collected in an iterative process until targets are achieved. Details of the programs can be found in the references.

This strategy will employ automated, asynchronous, best-practice alerts (BPAs). Provider notifications via electronic health records (EHRs) are clinical tools designed to improve adherence to evidence-based guidelines by providing real-time alerts that have been widely implemented across healthcare systems to enhance patient safety, reduce clinical inertia, and standardize care delivery. However, their effectiveness depends on factors such as alert fatigue, provider engagement, and integration into existing workflows. BPAs are one of the most common types of automated EHR-based provider notifications.