ENHANCING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION: IMPACT OF A CME PROGRAM ON CLINICIAN KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE

Abstract

Therapeutic Area

ASCVD/CVD Risk Assessment

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A growing body of evidence supports the importance of proactive risk assessment along the cardiac continuum to optimize prevention strategies. Image-guided cardiovascular risk assessment techniques have emerged as valuable tools in detecting and stratifying risk in primary prevention settings. However, gaps remain in the knowledge and competence of healthcare providers regarding the effective integration of these approaches into clinical practice. This educational initiative aimed to enhance the knowledge and competence of cardiologists and primary care physicians (PCPs) in understanding the cardiac risk continuum and utilizing image-guided cardiovascular risk assessment techniques to improve patient outcomes.

Methods

based program with 3 expert faculty, originally broadcast live in-person and online at the 2024 American Heart Association (AHA) annual scientific session. The program included pre- and post- activity assessments to evaluate improvements in knowledge, competence, and confidence. Data were collected on participant performance across key learning objectives, including knowledge of the cardiac risk continuum, the role of image-guided risk assessment, and clinical application of these strategies in primary cardiovascular prevention. Four multiple-choice questions were used: 3 assessed knowledge and 1 determined confidence using a Likert-type scale. Endpoints were assessed using a repeated-pair design with pre-/post-assessment. A paired t-test was conducted on the overall average number of correct responses for physician knowledge, and a McNemar’s test was conducted at the question level (significance level, P< .05) for confidence rating. The program launched on 12/5/2024 and data were collected on 2/4/2025.

Results

The program demonstrated significant improvements in participant knowledge, competence, and confidence. Cardiologists and PCPs showed a 34% and 42% improvement, respectively, in understanding the cardiac risk continuum and role of image-guided risk assessment techniques for cardiovascular prevention (P < .001). Confidence in tailoring primary prevention strategies increased among 30% of cardiologists and 41% of PCPs.

Conclusions

This CME initiative successfully addressed key gaps in cardiovascular risk assessment knowledge and practice, leading to measurable improvements in clinician competence and confidence. The findings highlight the value of structured educational interventions in promoting evidence-based strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention.