Research conducted by NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group has demonstrated that patients who have an inherited and often-hidden heart risk can actually be systematically identified from information in their primary care record.
NHS Medway CCG used Informatica software to access and analyse data regarding key familial hypercholesterolaemia identifiers across 53 GP Practices in the local area. The findings were published in a recent case study on Gov.net.
According to the HEART UK, about one in 250 people has familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited condition that means their cholesterol levels are higher than normal from birth. It is caused by an abnormal gene and, despite it putting people at high risk of early heart disease, most patients will not know they have it.
Early identification of patients at risk of the condition using this key information found in the primary care record can help primary care teams and patients work towards heart disease prevention, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.
Read the full case study here on the Gov.net website.