QIM 8: Proportion of eligible regular clients with a record of the necessary risk factors in their GP record for CVD risk assessment
Assessment of absolute CVD risk based on multiple risk factors is more accurate than that based on individual risk factors due to the cumulative nature of risk effects. Absolute CVD risk assessment combines risk factors to calculate the probability that an individual will develop a cardiovascular event or other vascular disease within a specified time frame, usually 5 years (RACGP 2018). The risk assessment is useful for measuring risk in asymptomatic clients without established CVD (i.e. primary prevention). Clients aged 45-74 years with established CVD and/or with several other conditions who are already clinically determined to be at high risk of a cardiovascular event (NVDPA 2012) have been excluded from the measure as outlined in the PIPQI specification.
Capture of results recorded outside of the general practice setting
Results arising from clinical intervention conducted outside of the service that are known and recorded by the practice are included in the measure. Where the test results were recorded elsewhere (for example, a specialist service) and the information is not recorded in the clinical information system of the client’s usual general practice (for example, due to incompatible clinical information system between a practice and a specialist service), then these data will not be captured in the report.
Other sources of relevant data
There are other administrative data collections where the relevant data from these client-provider interactions are captured, e.g., Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the National Health Survey (NHS) conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This indicator reports on the proportion of regular clients aged 45 to 74 years without a CVD diagnosis with 4 risk factors (tobacco smoking status, diabetes type or HbA1c result or fasting glucose tests, blood pressure, lipid levels) recorded in their GP record to enable CVD risk assessment.
As of July 2021, nationally, 48.5% of regular clients aged 45 to 74 years without a CVD diagnosis had the necessary risk factors recorded in their GP record to enable CVD risk assessment. This varied from 36.0% to 67.5% across PHNs.