A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Community-based Primary and Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention Program

The Vascular Intervention Project (VIP): a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Community-based Primary and Secondary Cardiovascular Prevention Program in the Algoma District of Northern Ontario

VIP is a demonstration project with a goal to decrease modifiable risk factors for those with a higher risk of having a vascular event such as a heart attack or stroke or of developing vascular disease. Introduced as a study, VIP compares whether there is a significant reduction of modifiable vascular risk factors among patients who are involved in a personalized directed program versus those being provided standard care by their physician. Health care providers work collaboratively with the 'VIP Team' to improve the participants' vascular health.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hypertension; Obesity; Diabetes; Hyperlipidemia; Vascular Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Action Score; Behavioral: VIP program

Detailed Description

This Northern Ontario, community-based demonstration project is a multi-disciplinary, primary care provider-based collaboration. The goals of the project are to:

1. Decrease the modifiable risk factors for primary care patients at risk for vascular disease in the Algoma District;
2. Increase collaboration between health care providers such as family physicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, dietitians and nurses in the community;
3. Increase the participation of the patient and family in decision-making, self-care, and adherence to agreed-upon management plans;
4. Improve patient access to care, clinical outcomes and satisfaction;
5. Provide a business case for a practical, sustainable and generalizable model for the primary care of vascular disease in the community.

The Group Health Centre, a multi-disciplinary, not-for-profit community-based health organization with 56,000 rostered patients, leads the project. However, all Sault Ste Marie community patients are eligible to join the Vascular Intervention Program (VIP). This program has three key components: a registry of VIP patients with audit, recall and feedback; use of the novel ACTION score template, and the optional use of VIPNet, a personalized patient record tool that provides secure web access to optimize quality and continuity of care. The VIP project aims to empower patients and increase collaboration among the primary health care team. Patients with any vascular risk factors will be eligible for VIP.

The VIP project is a demonstration project that does not duplicate existing GHC chronic disease management programs because (1) the VIP is offered to all eligible community patients, not only GHC enrollees; (2) VIP integrates any patients with vascular risk, not just those with pre-defined conditions; (3) novel collaborative tools such as the ACTION template and VIPNet website are being piloted; and (4) explicit patient-centred decision making drives the process. The development and evaluation of the VIP demonstration project is a unique step in the evolution of primary care chronic disease management in Sault Ste Marie, and the rest of the province.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 422
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, P6B 1Y5
      • Group Health Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 30 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men >30 years of age
• Women > 40 years of age
• History of vascular disease (as defined in Study Design, page 8)
• Framingham Risk Score >/= 12 %
• Capable of giving informed consent
• Ability and willingness to complete questionnaires and have study procedures done
• Willingness to belong to either the intervention or standard care arm

Exclusion Criteria:

• FRS <12% (low risk) -- enrolled into the cohort arm (not randomized. Follow-up at study end only.)
• Any condition that will prevent the patient from participating in and completing the study
• Unable to come to the Group Health Centre for appointments
• Any factor likely to limit protocol compliance
• Unwilling to permit VIP staff to contact their primary physicians to communicate information about the study and the participant's data and treatment assignment
• Previous randomization into this study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Standard Care
Active Comparator: VIP program; Risk assessment, lifestyle counselling, exercise program	Behavioral: Action Score; Improvement in a novel 100-point score summarizing cardiovascular risk.; Behavioral: VIP program; Risk assessment, lifestyle counselling, exercise program

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
The percentage of patients who attained a significant reduction in their global cardiovascular risk at 6 and 12 months. This was determined a priori by the investigators to be an increase in the ACTION Score of 5 or more.	6 months and 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Secondary outcomes were change in the average ACTION Score, change in individual risk domains as measured by the ACTION Score, patient satisfaction, and quality of life, all after 6 months and 12 months, comparing intervention versus control.	6 months and 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Group Health Centre
• Collaborators: Pfizer; McMaster University; Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care; Coalition for the Acquisition of Sound Habits; Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Youth Internship Program
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David Crookston, MD CCFP, Algoma District Medical Group and Group Health Centre

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• (Group Health Centre website)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2004
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2006
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2006

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 7, 2005
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 7, 2005
• First Posted (Estimate): October 12, 2005

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 4, 2009
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 31, 2009
• Last Verified: July 1, 2009

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Diabetes; Coronary Artery Disease; Vascular Disease; Lifestyle Modification; Vascular Intervention Program; Modifiable Risk Factors
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Lipid Metabolism Disorders; Dyslipidemias; Vascular Diseases; Hyperlipidemias
• Other Study ID Numbers: Go3-03031