How well can familial hypercholesterolemia be identified in an electronic health record database?

Clinical decision support for familial hypercholesterolemia (CDS-FH): Rationale and design of a cluster randomized trial in primary care

BACKGROUND

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an underdiagnosed and undertreated genetic disorder with high risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and death. Clinical decision support (CDS) systems have the potential to aid in the identification and management of patients with FH. Prior studies using computer-based systems to screen patients for FH have shown promising results, but there has been no randomized controlled trial conducted. The aim of the current cluster randomized study is to evaluate if a CDS can increase the identification of FH.

METHODS

We have developed a CDS integrated in the electronic health records that will be activated in patients with elevated cholesterol levels (total cholesterol >8 mmol/L or low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol >5.5 mmol/L, adjusted for age, ongoing lipid lowering therapy and presence of premature coronary artery disease) at increased risk for FH. When activated, the CDS will urge the physician to send an automatically generated referral to the local lipid clinic for further evaluation. To evaluate the effects of the CDS, all primary care clinics will be cluster randomized 1:1 to either CDS intervention or standard care in a Swedish region with almost 500,000 inhabitants. The primary endpoint will be the number of patients diagnosed with FH at 30 months. Resource use and long-term health consequences will be estimated to assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Despite increasing awareness of FH, the condition remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. The present study will investigate whether a CDS can increase the number of patients being diagnosed with FH.

Comparing the performance of the novel FAMCAT algorithms and established case-finding criteria for familial hypercholesterolaemia in primary care

OBJECTIVE

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a common inherited disorder causing premature coronary heart disease (CHD) and death. We have developed the novel Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Case Ascertainment Tool (FAMCAT 1) case-finding algorithm for application in primary care, to improve detection of FH. The performance of this algorithm was further improved by including personal history of premature CHD (FAMCAT 2 algorithm). This study has evaluated their performance, at 95% specificity, to detect genetically confirmed FH in the general population. We also compared these algorithms to established clinical case-finding criteria.

METHODS

Prospective validation study, in 14 general practices, recruiting participants from the general adult population with cholesterol documented. For 260 participants with available health records, we determined possible FH cases based on FAMCAT thresholds, Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) score, Simon-Broome criteria and recommended cholesterol thresholds (total cholesterol >9.0 mmol/L if ≥30 years or >7.5 mmol/L if <30 years), using clinical data from electronic and manual extraction of patient records and family history questionnaires. The reference standard was genetic testing. We examined detection rate (DR), sensitivity and specificity for each case-finding criteria.

RESULTS

At 95% specificity, FAMCAT 1 had a DR of 27.8% (95% CI 12.5% to 50.9%) with sensitivity of 31.2% (95% CI 11.0% to 58.7%); while FAMCAT 2 had a DR of 45.8% (95% CI 27.9% to 64.9%) with sensitivity of 68.8% (95% CI 41.3% to 89.0%). DLCN score ≥6 points yielded a DR of 35.3% (95% CI 17.3% to 58.7%) and sensitivity of 37.5% (95% CI 15.2% to 64.6%). Using recommended cholesterol thresholds resulted in DR of 28.0% (95% CI 14.3% to 47.6%) with sensitivity of 43.8% (95% CI 19.8% to 70.1%). Simon-Broome criteria had lower DR 11.3% (95% CI 6.0% to 20.0%) and specificity 70.9% (95% CI 64.8% to 76.5%) but higher sensitivity of 56.3% (95% CI 29.9% to 80.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

In primary care, in patients with cholesterol documented, FAMCAT 2 performs better than other case-finding criteria for detecting genetically confirmed FH, with no prior clinical review required for case finding.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03934320.

Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Familial Hypercholesteremia

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of contemporary data regarding the outcomes of acute myocardial infarction among patients with familial hypercholesteremia.

METHODS

We queried the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2016-2018) for hospitalizations with acute myocardial infarction. Multivariable regression analysis was used to compare in-hospital outcomes and 30-day readmissions among patients with and without familial hypercholesteremia.

RESULTS

The analysis included 1,363,488 hospitalizations with acute myocardial infarction. The prevalence of familial hypercholesteremia was 0.07% among acute myocardial infarction admissions. Compared with those without familial hypercholesteremia, admissions with familial hypercholesteremia were younger and had less comorbidities but were more likely to have had prior infarct and revascularization. Admissions with familial hypercholesteremia were more likely to present with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and undergo revascularization. After multivariable adjustment, there was no difference in in-hospital case fatality among patients with hypercholesteremia compared with those without it (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41-1.39). Admissions with acute myocardial infarction and familial hypercholesteremia had higher adjusted rates of cardiac arrest and utilization of mechanical support. There were no group differences in overall 30-day readmission (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.51-1.10) or 30-day readmission for acute myocardial infarction. However, a nonsignificant trend toward higher readmission for percutaneous coronary intervention was observed among patients with familial hypercholesteremia (aOR 1.89; 95% CI 0.98-3.64).

CONCLUSION

In this contemporary nationwide observational analysis, patients with familial hypercholesteremia represent a small proportion of the overall population with acute myocardial infarction and have a distinctive clinical profile but do not appear to have worse in-hospital case fatality compared with those without familial hypercholesteremia.

The characteristics of patients with possible familial hypercholesterolemia-screening a large payer/provider healthcare delivery system

BACKGROUND

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an under-diagnosed condition.

AIM

We applied standard laboratory criteria across a large longitudinal electronic medical record database to describe cross-sectional population with possible FH.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of Clalit Health Services members. Subjects who met the General Population MED-PED laboratory criteria, excluding: age <10 years, documentation of thyroid, liver, biliary or autoimmune diseases, a history of chronic kidney disease stage 3 or greater, the presence of urine protein >300 mg/l, HDL-C>80 mg/dl, active malignancy or pregnancy at the time of testing were considered possible FH. Demographic and clinical characteristics are described at time of diagnosis and at a single index date following diagnosis to estimate the burden on the healthcare system. The patient population is also compared to the general population.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 12 494 subjects with out of over 4.5 million members of Clalit Health Services. The estimated prevalence of FH in Israel was found to be 1:285. These patients are notably positive for, and have a family history of, cardiovascular disease and risk factors. For most of them the LDL-C levels are not controlled, and only a quarter of them are medically treated.

CONCLUSIONS

By using the modified MED-PED criteria in a large electronic database, patients with possible FH can be identified enabling early intervention and treatment.

Barriers and Facilitators to Genetic Testing for Familial Hypercholesterolemia in the United States: A Review

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an underdiagnosed condition in the United States (US) and globally, affecting an estimated 1/250 individuals. It is a genetic risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease and is responsible for an estimated 600,000 to 1.2 million preventable vascular events. Studies show that FH genetic testing can identify a causal gene variant in 60 to 80% of clinically suspected FH cases. However, FH genetic testing is currently underutilized in clinical settings in the US despite clinical recommendations and evidence supporting its use. Reasons for underutilization are not well understood. We conducted a literature review in the PubMed/MEDLINE database and eight peer-reviewed journals. After filtering for and reviewing 2340 articles against our inclusion criteria, we included nine commentaries or expert opinions and eight empirical studies reported between January 2014 and March 2019 in our review. After applying the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we identified a total of 26 potential barriers and 15 potential facilitators (estimated barrier to facilitator ratio of 1.73). We further estimated ratios of potential barriers to facilitators for each CFIR domain (Characteristics of Intervention, Outer Setting, Inner Setting, Characteristics of Individuals, and Process). Findings derived from our systematic approach to the literature and calculations of estimated baseline ratios of barriers and facilitators can guide future research to understand FH genetic testing implementation in diverse clinical settings. Our systematic approach to the CFIR could also be used as a model to understand or compare barriers and facilitators to other evidence-based genetic testing processes in health care settings in the US and abroad.